This timber roll of honour is for ex-pupils of Mumbil Public School who served in the First and Second World Wars. It features two turned columns and a curved pediment, reminiscent of a headstone. The names are neatly printed in gold in two columns down the centre of the board. There are 30 names in total: 16 for the First World War and 14 for the Second World War.
This roll is the second version of an honour roll for the school, which opened in February 1881. The first version was created in 1917 by Mr C. J. Shakespeare, a funeral director and stonemason from nearby Wellington.
The decision to erect a roll was made at a meeting at the school in early May 1917. An unveiling dance was also organised, with proceeds from ticket sales and an auction going towards the project and a "Returned Soldiers' Fund" (Wellington Times, 3 May 1917).
The event took place on 24 May at Forrest's Hall in Mumbil. A detailed report appeared in the Wellington Times on 31 May, stating Mr H. G. Walsh performed the unveiling in front of a large crowd.
The article also published the inscription on the roll, as well as all the names. Based on this, we know the original names were transferred to the second version of the roll, but that the dedication was different. The 1917 roll read:
For King and Empire. Mumbil Public School Roll of Honor. The following is a list of ex-pupils of Mumbil Public School who voluntarily enlisted and served in the Great War of 1914.
It has not been identified who made the second version of the roll, or when it was constructed. However, it was unveiled at the school on the evening of 13 April 1946. The ceremony was reported in the Times on 18 April. Mr G. Housler, President of the P. and C. Association, oversaw proceedings and Captain W. F. Dunn, Minister for Conservation, unveiled the board.
In time, the second roll was transferred to the Wellington Museum, where is available for viewing when the museum is open. The whereabouts of the original board is unknown.
In 1981, the school received a newer version of the roll, which included two additional names: Trooper William Inwood, who served in the Second World War, and Sapper Garry Raymond Scurrah, who served in Vietnam. This roll is listed separately on the NSW War Memorials Register as the Mumbil Public School Roll of Honour.