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Marrickville War Memorial

Marrickville War Memorial
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Marrickville War Memorial
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Marrickville War Memorial, front view
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Marrickville War Memorial, right side view
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Marrickville War Memorial, back view
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Marrickville War Memorial, close-up of Winged Victory statue
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Marrickville War Memorial, close-up of dedication panel
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Marrickville War Memorial, close-up of foundation and unveiling stones
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Marrickville War Memorial, close-up of left honour roll panel
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Marrickville War Memorial, close-up of right honour roll panel
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Marrickville War Memorial, close-up of back honour roll panel
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Marrickville War Memorial, fence with history plaques
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Marrickville War Memorial, close-up of plaque about 1919 version of the Winged Victory statue
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Marrickville War Memorial, close-up of plaque about 2015 version of the Winged Victory statue
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Marrickville War Memorial, close-up of plaque with photo of 1919 unveiling of the memorial
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Archival image, 1919. Marrickville War Memorial in 1919. Source: The State Library of NSW.
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Archival image. 1919. Close-up of Doble's Winged Victory. Source: The State Library of NSW.
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Description / Background

Of Sydney’s inner suburbs, so many sons of Marrickville enlisted to fight in the First World War that Sydney’s Daily Telegraph remarked that “[the suburb] has a fine military record.” Of 43,000 residents, over 4,000 served and sadly, over 450 did not return. Such losses demanded an appropriate memorial and the community apportioned £800 to the project. 

On the 24th of May 1919, an estimated 15,000 Marrickville locals attended the unveiling of the largest war memorial in Australia at that time, proudly positioned in front of the Marrickville Town Hall. 

Standing at over 30 feet, the memorial's design exemplifies the commonplace style of a plinth bearing the community’s Roll of Honour topped with a column. The foundation and unveiling stones are also inset into the base on the east side. Both plinth and column are hewn from rough dressed Australian granite, and the names are inscribed and highlighted in gold. The memorial is set on four steps and is bordered on three sides with a brick and concrete fence. Three of the fence pillars have contemporary plaques attached, which tell the story of the history and evolution of the memorial. 

Topping the granite column, prominent local sculptor Gilbert Doble’s colossal sculpture 'Winged Victory' originally stood formidably against the sky. At 18 feet tall and weighing over 4 tonnes, the sculpture was the largest bronze pour of any type in Australia at the time. Depicting a female personification of victory, the winged woman held a sword aloft in her left hand and a laurel wreath in her right. These traditional symbols of victory were however juxtaposed by her stance. Her head was depicted sunken, and the laurel wreath was shown hanging by her side away from her focus. Rather than evoking conquest, Doble desired to show the hollowness of such costly victory. The Sydney Evening News described viewing Winged Victory from beneath as “a certain feeling of relief is felt.” 

Owing to her mass and vulnerability to lightning strikes, Victory's plinth became unstable and in the early 1960s the sculpture was removed for restoration. She was subsequently lost and then rediscovered among Council's storage in 1984, her lower half unsalvageable. The remains of the sculpture from the waist up were welded onto a new lower section and reinstalled in 1988. 

By 2009, Winged Victory was collapsing again. The sculpture had sustained too much damage and was removed and donated to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, where she was restored and now stands on display.  

The last Australian veteran of the First World War died in 2009. With the generation for whom such war memorials had been dedicated now passing, the option existed to leave the memorial’s column bare. However, the community disagreed.  

Melbourne’s Meridian Sculpture were contracted to reinterpret Winged Victory. They cast a new winged female figure, known as 'Winged Victory 2015', with the same identifiable sword and laurel wreath, however with the sword now downturned. The aim of the new sculptors was to recapture that “image of peace and sacrifice.” 

In the lead up to the 100th anniversary of Australian troops landing on Anzac Cove in 1915, the new memorial was unveiled on 19 April 2015. Once again, many thousands from the Marrickville community turned out to pay tribute to their forebears and to acknowledge the history of their iconic memorial. 

Inscription

Inscription - capital of column, east side

Pro Patria [for one's country]

Dedication - base, east side

Erected to the Honor and Glory of the Men of Marrickville who gave their lives for God and the cause of humanity in the Great War 1914–1919.

"They died that we might live. –
Hail! – and Farewell!
–All honor give
to those who nobly striving nobly fell.
That we might live!
(Oxenham)

Gilbert Doble
Sculptor

Foundation stone - base, east side

This stone was laid by the Mayor Ald. J. T. Ness, J.P. 26th January 1919

Unveiling stone - base, east side

This memorial was unveiled by His Excellency Sir Walter E. Davidson K.C.M.G. Governor of New South Wales 24th May 1919.

Honour roll - base, north, east, and south sides

[Names]

Plaque - fence, left pillar

The Winged Victory, 1919

Gilbert Doble's Winged Victory was created at his foundry in Hillcrest Street, Tempe. It was inspired by Greek mythology - a figure of Nike, the goddess of victory - and unveiled on 24 May 1919. The sculpture was removed in 1962, after concerns were raised around its preservation.

In November 1988, following restoration work by sculptor Dr Alex Sandor Kolozsy, the Winged Victory was returned to the Memorial. The sculpture was removed permanently in 2008 when stability again became an issue. 

In 2014, the Winged Victory became part of the collection at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, symbolising how The Great War affected so many lives in Marrickville.

Marrickville Council

Plaque - fence, right pillar

The Winged Victory 2015

Winged Victory, 2015 is a contemporary interpretation of Gilbert Doble's original sculpture.

"The sword, a symbol of victory, has been lowered and is more passive than the original, in a gesture of peace. The wreath is more overt, casting it to the fallen. The downcast gaze symbolises mourning and is reverential to Doble's sculpture" - artists, Darien Pullen and Peter Corlett.

Winged Victory, 2015 was unveiled by Mayor of Marrickville, Councillor Mark Gardiner on 19 April 2015.

The Marrickville Soldiers' Memorial was restored by Marrickville Council with funds provided under the Australian Government's Anzac Centenary Program. 

Marrickville Council

Plaque - fence, far right pillar

[Photograph of unveiling of the Winged Victory 1919]

The Winged Victory, 1919

Gilbert Doble's Winged Victory was created at his foundry in Hillcrest Street, Tempe. It was inspired by Nike, the Goddess of Victory in Greek mythology, and unveiled in front of a crowd of 15,000 people on 24 May 1919.

The monument commemorates the 458 local soldiers who died in service or were killed in action in World War I.

In 2014, the Winged Victory 1919 became part of the collection at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, symbolising how The Great War affected so many lives in Marrickville.

Former plaque

Australia
1788–1988

Winged Victory Restoration

The upper half of the statue is the work of the original sculptor, Gilbert Doble. The restoration and re-creation of the lower half is the work of sculptor, Alex Koloszy. 

The restoration was unveiled on 11 November, 1988 by Sir Thomas Daly, K.B.E. C.B. D.S.O.

Veterans listed on this memorial

Veterans listed on this memorial

Last held rank Given name Family name Conflict/s Service No. Service Campaign Read more
B Abrock World War 1 view
W T Adam World War 1 view
C W Adrian World War 1 view
W C Agate World War 1 view
J Alexander World War 1 view
H C Allan World War 1 view
J Allan World War 1 view
PTE P B Allen World War 1 1908 AIF Gallipoli view
C Amos World War 1 view
F C Amos World War 1 view

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Address
Marrickville Town Hall
Cnr Marrickville and Petersham Roads
Marrickville NSW 2204
Local Government Area
Inner West Council
Setting
Roadside
Location status
Original location
Memorial type
Column/pillar
Statue/sculpture/artwork
Recorded by
Anzac Memorial, Hyde Park. NSW War Memorials Register. Peter Levarre-Waters. J Naughton. David Roden.
Year of construction
1919
Dedication date
19 April 2015
Conflict/s
First World War, 1914–18
Materials
Bronze
Granite