HA College (HAC) Soldiers Memorial Hall

Hawkesbury Agricultural College (HAC) was established in 1891, primarily to teach and undertake research in agriculture. It was the first of its kind in NSW. Thirteen of its ex-students served in the South African War (Boer War), ten of them again enlisting for World War One. More than 720 HAC men comprising ex-students, staff (including members of the Department of Agriculture attached to HAC), and students, served in various capacities and with several allies across all campaigns during the Great War. At least forty six of those that served, did so again in WWII. 137 lost their lives in the Great War; 41 have no known grave, three of which were buried at sea.

This Soldiers Memorial Hall honours these men.

The College also played a role in providing comforts to their men during the course of the war and in addition, the re-training of 299 returned service personnel (with no previous association to HAC) including three nurses, enabled them to pursue a new vocation.

The Soldiers Memorial Hall records the names of those then known to have served along with those then known to have died, in two Honour Rolls displayed at its entrance. The Hall was constructed through funds raised by the running of various events over a decade at the College, largely by the HAC Old Boys Union, and by donations and in-kind support from the NSW Department of Agriculture, under which the College then operated.

Names among those in the Honour Rolls include a son of the Premier of NSW and a son of the Prime Minister. Also listed are three cousins of the famed WWI historian Charles Bean.