The proposal to erect a memorial to honour the servicemen who had attended the Junee Reefs School and paid the supreme sacrifice in the First World War originated on 13 December 1920. It came from the school's Parents & Citizens Association, led by Mr C. W. Middlebrook, longstanding headmaster; Mr M. J. Nash, president of the association; Mr A. E. Harris, secretary of the association and district residents.
Money was collected within the district by voluntary subscriptions through canvassing for donations. It was erected by Turner and Sons in the school grounds, crown land, approximately 300 metres west of its present site at the Junee Reefs–Ivor Hall. The contract price was £200.
When the school closed in 1945 the Lands Department wanted to dispose of the site. The Department suggested Illabo Shire Council become trustees of the memorial and remove it, to which the council considered the wishes of the district. Alternative suggestions were the memorial be presented to the Junee RSL or the Ex-Services Memorial Club. The people of Junee Reefs called a community meeting at which it was decided to keep the memorial.
A decision was made in 1947 to place the memorial under the care of the Junee Reefs Hall committee. The motion to move the monument to the hall occurred at this time and was defeated.
In January 2006, Gladys and Robert Bak from the Integrated Servicepeople’s Association of Australia (Inc) approached the community with a view of providing assistance to have the memorial restored to a better condition and have the gold lettering enhanced. The Association held an interest in military history and with the philosophy of ‘keeping the spirit alive’ considered the memorial at Junee Reefs needed to be maintained and kept for heritage purposes as a tribute to the fallen from the district of Junee Reefs. This would be appreciated by the current families living in the area, their future generations, the veteran community and perhaps visitors to the area.
At the Junee Reefs Hall Committee annual general meeting on Wednesday, 15 February 2006, it was decided the upgrade of the memorial would proceed and it was suggested that the memorial be moved to the hall grounds. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) was contacted requesting approval and asking for a grant application assisting with this project. To be successful the proposed submission needed to show the support of the community and the local Junee Shire Council.
In 2007 the Junee Reefs Hall Committee decided to move the memorial to take pride of place in front of the Junee Reefs–Ivor Hall. This was undertaken with the assistance of the Integrated Service People’s Association of Australia.
Grants were received from the DVA to restore the monument and have lettering regilded, but relocation was not funded. Monies for this came from donations from local residents, various businesses and families of soldiers named on the monument. The soldier statue was removed by crane and taken to Wagga Wagga to be cleaned and restored, and the lettering updated. The pedestal, laying on bales of hay on the back of a truck, was transported to its present-day site.
Work commenced in 2007 when the community residents needed to clear area around memorial, check the foundation base and remove fencing. At the same time a concrete slab needed to be prepared in the new location before the uplift and relocation of the memorial. A new flagpole was also erected at the new site.
The memorial was rededicated by Padre Charlies Whitton, ARTC Kapooka, on 25 April 2008.