Cordalba War Memorial
Bundaberg Regional CouncilThe current Cordalba War Memorial was unveiled on 18 August 1999 by then Veterans' Affairs Minister Bruce Scott. This followed its restoration approximately 30 years after the soldier on the memorial was damaged by vandals. Following the damage, pieces of the soldier were stored under the Isis RSL headquarters in Childers until permission was granted to restore the memorial with a replica and funding could be sourced. A contractor was found in Toowoomba who could make moulds and cast new pieces in reinforced concrete. Until this time an obelisk had been installed in place of the soldier.
For the erection of the original memorial a public meeting was held in January 1919 during which a Soldiers' Memorial Committee was elected. They selected their preferred site which was owned by the Railway Department who refused the request. Upon refusal the Railway Department offered another site, but this was refused by the Committee who, soon after, purchased the land on which the memorial now stands. A tender request for the design and erection of the memorial was then sent out to various Queensland monumental firms resulting in well-known monumental mason A.L. Petrie of Toowong being chosen. The original memorial was unveiled on 5 December 1919.
Sources:
Bundaberg News Mail, 19 August 1999, p5.
"Cordalba War Memorial", Bundaberg Regional Council Local Heritage Register. Available: http://www.bundaberg.qld.gov.au/files/Cordalba_War_Memorial.pdf
"Cordalba War Memorial (Digger)", Queensland War Memorial Register. Available: https://www.qldwarmemorials.com.au
"Cordalba War Memorial", Monument Australia. Available: http://monumentaustralia.org.au
Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser, 5 December 1919, p4. Available: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/
