Other memorials
Sydney Teachers College soldier-teacher memorials, 1914-1918
Women’s memorial to the fallen
On 1 July 1920 an appeal was made to all staff members, students and past students of the Sydney Teachers College to contribute to the purchase of a painting by Arthur Streeton at a cost of 350 guineas.
College women were encouraged to donate either ten or five shillings. This appeal was made by Miss E Mallarky MA, Warden of Women Students, and Miss S Jepson.
It was intended to purchase Streeton’s The 8th of August Advance, now called The Somme Valley near Corbie 1919, which was the original study for the large picture painted for the Commonwealth Government. Instead, the women purchased Streeton’s Rouen 1912 for 162 pounds and fifteen shillings with the additional cost of five guineas for a frame.62
On Anzac Day 1921 the painting was placed beside the Honour Roll, described below, at a ceremony held at noon in the college quadrangle. Dr P R Cole, the Acting Principal, officiated.63
At the college on Thursday, 30 June 1921 at 3.00 p.m. Lady Cullen unveiled the soldiers memorial in the presence of large numbers of returned soldier members of the college and ex-students. Dr Cole welcomed visitors, and Miss Mallarky explained the purpose of the memorial, emphasising that it was due to a spontaneous and wide movement of sympathetic pride among women members of the college throughout New South Wales.64
The beautiful picture of Rouen by Streeton was selected because it was felt that only something supremely beautiful was meant to hang in the Sydney Teachers College as a memorial to such men and such deeds. The painting is accompanied by the inscription, “In Memory of the Fallen of World War I – Sydney Teachers College.”
The painting Rouen 1912 is now part of the University of Sydney’s Art Collection and is not currently available for public viewing. For further details contact the University of Sydney Art Collection on telephone (02) 9351 4004.
Honour Roll
Later in the afternoon of 30 June the Hon. William Dunn MLA, Minister for Agriculture, unveiled the Honour Roll. It was a beautiful piece of handwork, in which are embroidered the names of all student members who enlisted during 1914-1918. The roll was worked during the years of the War by the female college students.65
The tapestry is in the library of the old Sydney Teachers College. It consists of a finely woven linen thread of a light stone, neutral background. The inscriptions and names are embroidered in blue silk thread. All the names are capitalised and are listed in Appendix E.