Kogarah War Memorial

Georges River Council was awarded a Community War Memorials Fund (CWMF) grant in 2022 to support the conservation of the 100-year-old Kogarah War Memorial.

Located in the suburb of Carlton, the memorial is a column made of polished trachete and stands on a square sandstone base with polished trachyte tablets dedicated to those who fell serving in the First World War (1914–1918), Second World War (1939–1945), the Korean War (1950–1953), the Malayan Emergency (1950–1960), and the Vietnam War (1962–1975). The top of the base is decorated with the badges of the Australian Commonwealth Military Forces, Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Australian Navy, and the Australian Women’s Services.

The memorial was established by the Kogarah Municipal Council and a committee of locals, and was unveiled by Major General Charles Henry Brand during Armistice Day commemorations on 11 November 1923. Planning had taken around 18 months and construction had cost 370 pounds. Speaking to a large audience, Major General Brand said:

“All over the Commonwealth these memorials would be found. Their use is in that they stand for victory, sacrifice, and unity. They are shrouded with deep sentiment … [and] will remind the Diggers of the lighter side of their experiences as well as the serious aspect, and in this way keep green many fine comradeships they made.”
— The Sydney Morning Herald, 12 November 1923

The monument was originally located on a reserve on Gray Street, Kogarah. Thought to be a traffic hazard, it was relocated and rededicated during an Anzac Day service on 25 April 1968. The memorial is located in the north-west corner of Kogarah Park behind Jubilee Oval, which is associated with the St George Rugby League Football Club.

In 2019, Georges River Council began a project to preserve and protect the memorial by engaging Mr James Stephany, an architect and heritage consultant, to prepare a Conservation Assessment. This report outlined the memorial’s history, significance, and condition. Importantly, it identified that while overall the memorial was in fair condition, the stonework was “fractured and delaminating” and areas of pointing were “deteriorated and missing”, leaving these highly significant elements of in poor condition.

In 2022, Council obtained a quote from specialist firm International Conservation Services (ICS) to undertake conservation works on the memorial in line with Mr Stephany’s report and based on best practice conservation processes. Council was successful in applying for a CWMF grant to contribute to the cost of the works.

"The Kogarah War Memorial is of great significance as it has been the focal point of local Anzac Day services since it was unveiled on 11 November 1923. Moved in 1967 from its original location on Gray Street Kogarah to its current location on English Street in Carlton, the memorial was showing outward signs of stress and the passage of time. The restoration work done for this project would not have been possible without the Community War Memorials Fund grant and included the cleaning of all surfaces as well as the repair of damaged stone work and mortar with a focus on preserving the original fabric of the structure. The heritage structure was completely revitalised by the sensitive restoration work – a fitting tribute to our veterans in this 100th year of the Kogarah War Memorial."
— Georges River Council, February 2023

ICS oversaw the project, with specialist stonemasons from Brookvale Stone undertaking the physical works. The works included pressure steam cleaning of the stonework to remove biological growth and dirt and repointing of the deteriorated and missing mortar to match the surrounding fabric. Cracks and losses in the mortar were repaired with hydraulic lime mortar and the delaminated and missing moulding in the cap of the column was repaired with a stainless steel reinforced mortar patch. The fractured column base was also pinned with threaded stainless steel rods that were secured in place with epoxy resin and mortar. Repairs to mortar in walls of the adjacent garden beds was also completed as part of the project.

David Johns, President of Kogarah RSL sub-Branch is impressed by the results of the project:

The cenotaph looks really good, they have done a great job restoring it. Kogarah RSL sub-Branch really appreciates the effort that has gone into this project, as does the local community. This will ensure that a piece of local military history is preserved for future generations, in particular for Anzac Day commemoration, and more broadly the remembrance of all serving personnel past and present.
— David Johns, President of Kogarah RSL sub-Branch

The memorial is a focal point for local commemorations such as Anzac Day and is included in the park’s local heritage listing in Georges River Council’s Local Environmental Plan, 2021.

The Community War Memorials Fund provides grants of up to $10,000 to support the repair, protection and conservation of community war memorials across the state. including specialist heritage advice and physical work.

For more information and to apply, click here.

Project photos