Ulverstone Shrine of Remembrance

The Round Base: coloured blue, signifies the sea on which the island of Tasmania stands. This is the native land from where the fallen, whose names are inscribed, were born and gave their lives for its freedom.
The Three Columns: rising from the map of Tasmania denote the three services R.A.N., A.I.F. and R.A.A.F. They each represent a book, the squares of glass representing pages of the book where names of the fallen are inscribed.
The Series of Links: connecting each column with the other denote the strong ties of unity between the services.
The Laurel Wreath: suspended beneath the clock, with its centre the rising sun, looks down over the names, and the visitor, in looking at the wreath, unconsciously looks toward Heaven and Almighty.
The Clock: denotes time and eternity, Time slowly marching on and Eternity the ultimate end.
The Torch of Remembrance: surmounts the whole structure.
The 1914-18 Memorial: stands in the centre.

A public meeting in 1946 agreed on a clock tower as its 1939-45 memorial and a committee was set up to bring this into being. Much work was accomplished during the years between its inception and the time when a tender was accepted for its erection on 27th July, 1953. Difficulties in securing a site ended when it was agreed to place it where the 1914-18 memorial stood at the intersection of Reibey St, Risby St, and Alexandra Road, the highest point in the town. This memorial was incorporated in the new memorial.

A new arrival in Ulverstone, Cvetko Florian Mejac, from Slovenia, offered to prepare plans and specifications free of cost to the committee which accepted a design submitted by him.

A four faced electrical clock was ordered from Ingrams Bright Pty Ltd of Melbourne at a cost of £1,100. A public appeal for funds was opened and well supported. The state Government subscribed £3,000. The municipal Council gave approval for the work to proceed and tenders were called for. Only one tender was received this being from ‘Artisan’, South Road, Ulverstone, members being Jernej Bajzelj, Rudy Zimic, both Slovenians, and John McNeill.

This tender was accepted and work commenced on July 30th, 1953, and completed January 5th, 1954.

Approximately £4,400 was still outstanding when the tender of £11,662 was accepted, and the committee undertook personal responsibility for this amount.

War Memorial Park c 1999
War Memorial Park has been designed to provide a setting and contemplation area for the towns most significant memorial. It is placed at the junction point of the main street and the history museum entry, and is the starting point for the ‘Stories of Ulverstone’ trail. The park features the Gallipoli Pine and art work designed around the theme of peace and harmony. Art works include a bench by Ray Norman and plaques by Julie Stoneman.

The Tasmanian Lighthorse Memorial honours those mounted Tasmanian soldiers and their horses who served in the Boer War and in two World Wars. The Memorial, in the form of a mural adjacent to Ware Memorial Park, was completed in 1999 to mark the 100th Anniversary of the formation of their unit.

In the year 1899, the Commander of the Tasmanian Colonial Forces, Colonel W.V. Legge, asked the Tasmanian Government to raise a mounted reconnaissance force to support the artillery and infantry units in the Colony. He recommended that this unit be based at Ulverstone because the district was prosperous with many young horsemen and suitable horses. The Tasmanian Mounted Infantry was the result, with the first company being formed at Ulverstone in the year. During the Boer War many young men from that unit served with the Tasmanian Bushmen, where two of them Lt G.G.E. Wylly and Trooper J.H. Bisdee were awarded Victoria Crosses.

Source: Ulverstone Local History Museum, 50 main St, ULVERSTONE TAS Ph: 03 6425 3835