Clunes State School Roll of Honor

The intention to erect a Roll of Honor for past students of the Clunes State School was initially raised by the then head teacher (Mr. J. Kimlin) in December 1915 (Clunes Guardian and Gazette; 7/12/1915). He indicated that the school had received some 130 names of those who had enlisted for service in the First World War, and had been educated at the school.

It was not until April 1918 that the Honor Board Committee, which had raised 37 pounds mainly due to the children’s efforts, was presented with photos and designs for honor boards by the secretary Miss Blackband (Clunes Guardian and Gazette; 30/04/1918). As the quote for this work was 46 pounds the committee resolved to canvass the town for subscriptions to raise the amount required.

The Clunes Guardian and Gazette (3/09/1918) reported that on Thursday 29th August 1918 a large crowd from the town and surrounding districts gathered at the State School for the unveiling of the Roll of Honor. The ceremony was an open-air affair held on the north side of the school. The Roll of Honor, draped in an Australian flag, was placed on a lorry due to its size. 

The official party consisted of Mr. H. L. Lazarus (Chair of the School Committee); the Mayor Councillor J. F. Phillips, J.P.; Sir Alex Peacock, M.L.A.; Mr. E. Jewett, M.P.; Mr. F. Tate (Director of Education); Mr. J. McRae (Vice Principal Training College); Mr. Hurley (district inspector); and Mr. W. Richards (head teacher). After introductory speeches, Sir Alex Peacock gave the main address and then removed the flag to unveil the Roll of Honor.

The Roll of Honor is a board 12 feet wide and eight feet high. The frame is of Queensland maple and the nine panels bearing the names are made of blackwood. The inscription crowning the board is ‘Roll of Honor Clunes State School’. On each side of the frame are swords bearing the words ‘Honor and Justice’ and ‘Truth and Right’. At the bottom of the frame are the words ‘In honor of the pupils of this school who served the Empire in the Great War’.

Mr. Richards then read out the original 286 names on the Honor Roll. These names are rendered in gold leaf, shaded in black. The names of 34 soldiers who gave their lives during the war are distinguished by a red cross. An extra 18 names were added to the honor roll as the war progressed.

The Honor Roll was produced by Tunbridge’s of Ballarat. The gold lettering was the work of Messrs. Robins and Payne. The total cost of the work was a little over 50 pounds.

At a lecture given at the Town Hall by Mr. Tate that evening, a hearty vote of thanks was passed to Miss Blackband for her enthusiastic spirit and very material assistance in bringing the effort to secure the honor roll to a successful issue. 

• Clunes Guardian and Gazette; 7/12/1915, 30/04/1918, 3/09/1918 https://trove.nla.gov.au/search