Obley Great War Roll of Honor

The Obley Great War Roll of Honor is an obelisk, standing on a pedestal. Attached to the pedestal is a white marble tablet, inscribed with a list of those who served in the war. The tablet is decorated with images of crossed rifles and the crossed Union Jack and Australian flags. The whole is surrounded by a fence and is accompanied by a flagpole and Lone Pine.  

Planning for the memorial dates back to at least late 1921. The Obley Soldiers Memorial Fund was in charge of fundraising for the project, and organised events such as sports meetings (Dubbo Dispatch and Wellington Independent, 29 November 1921). 

By February 1922, the residents had decided on an obelisk and had chosen stonemason C J Shakespeare of Wellington for the construction. He had built a number of memorials in the region after the war. It was to be "13 feet high ... and ... be erected on a piece of ground near the public school" (Wellington Times, 27 February 1922). 

The unveiling ceremony took place on 19 August 1922 in front of a large crowd. The event was reported in the Wellington Times on 24 August. Mr H Baird acted as chairman and The Hon. W F Dunn MLA performed the unveiling. The article reported the obelisk cost more than £100 and included a photo of the finished work.