Brookhampton War Memorial History

In 1919, Brookhampton War Memorial was erected in the grounds of Brookhampton Hall to commemorate the men from the Thomson’s Brook district who had served in World War I (1914-18). Local residents voluntarily raised the funds for the memorial, which was made by Peter and Gillies, of Subiaco. The grey granite obelisk, ‘enclosed with a double iron railing, supported by four corner pillars of grey granite’, had the 33 names of those who enlisted, including nine who were killed, cut and gilded on one side of the obelisk (Bunbury Herald 20 Dec. 1919). On 17 December, W. G. Pickering, M.L.A., unveiled the so-called Soldiers’ Memorial, and after expressing his sympathy to those present who had been bereaved, he ‘congratulated the people of the district on erecting such a lasting tribute to their men’ (ibid). In 1920, local residents subscribed for a new fence around the Soldiers’ Memorial.

In June 1921, a working bee was held to clear and plough up the ground around the Memorial in readiness for planting trees, shrubs and roses. On 6 August, Messrs. Gibbons and Sharp laid out the ground and small garden beds, young men dug over the ploughed ground, plantings were made, and the young ladies planted the surrounds of each bed with violets. The schoolmaster, Mr. Sharp, undertook to keep the ground in order, and local residents anticipated that ‘in time this little plot should prove to be one of our beauty spots’ (Bunbury Herald 16 August 1921). Following World War II, a stone was added to the plinth to record the names of those who served in that war. The local community highly values the Memorial and has well maintained it through into the early 2000s.

Source: SHIRE OF DONNYBROOK-BALINGUP MUNICIPAL HERITAGE INVENTORY