The town of Bowral in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales is home to two notable, and distinctly different, war memorials. Located close to the central train station, visits to the historic Bowral and District War Memorial and the contemporary Bowral Vietnam War Memorial Cherry Tree Walk are easy to include on your walking tour of this charming town.
An enduring monument
The Bowral and District War Memorial stands in a small reserve at the corner of Bong Bong and Merrigang Streets. It is a traditional stone and marble column, topped with an orb and the Rising Sun emblem of the Australian Commonwealth Military Forces. The column stands on a two-tier pedestal base. The upper tier is inscribed with the names of those who served in the First World War.
The citizens of Bowral set about constructing their memorial shortly after the war ended. The foundation stone was laid on 4 August 1919 by Sir George W. Fuller. Addressing the large crowd, Sir Fuller acknowledged the memorial was being funded via voluntary donations and he encouraged all those present to make a contribution, no matter how small (The Southern Mail, 8 August 1919).
The finished memorial was unveiled at another well-attended ceremony on 31 January 1920. As he drew aside the Union Jack that covered the monument, Sir Walter Davidson said the memorial:
Represented the best people ... of Bowral, Glenquarry, and Burradoo. Whether the names of those were fighting men, munition workers, or nurses, they had all taken their chances in order to do their duty to their country
(The Sydney Morning Herald, 31 January 1920)
Over the years, the memorial has been updated and added to, to commemorate other conflicts in which Australians have served, including an honour roll for the Second World War on the lower tier of the pedestal. The memorial was also re-dedicated on 11 November 2003.
A floral tribute
A short walk away, starting in Rivulet Park on Mittagong Road, is the Bowral Vietnam War Memorial Cherry Tree Walk. It is a unique tribute to military personnel killed in the Vietnam War. The concrete walkway is approximately 2 kilometres long and follows Mittagong Creek. The path is lined with Tai-haku trees, also known as the Japanese Flowering Cherry. There is one tree for every Australian who died in the war.
Set in a clearing along the walk are four monuments, engraved with an honour roll to accompany the trees. Further along the path is a smaller memorial, dedicated to members of the 8 Royal Australian Regiment who served in Vietnam. These special areas are used for commemorative services.
Help us record history
Do you have information about a veteran recorded on a war memorial in the Southern Highlands? We'd like to hear more about them. Contact the NSW War Memorials Register to find out more.
More to explore
Read about these other war memorials in Bowral and surrounds:
- 8 Australian Regiment Vietnam War Memorial, Bowral
- Kangaloon Methodist Church First World War Roll of Honour, Bowral
- Bowral Methodist Church Great War Honour Roll
- Berrima Remembrance Grove
- Berrima First and Second World Wars Memorial
#LestWeForget
Photographs taken by the NSW War Memorials Register, March 2022. Image captions:
- Bowral and District War Memorial.
- Bowral Vietnam War Memorial Cherry Tree Walk (left) and four honour roll monuments (right).