World War I and the original memorials
The Soldier-Teacher’s Memorial Committee (World War I)
FOR GOD AND COUNTRY
Later the Teachers Association commissioned a Soldier-Teachers Memorial Committee to organise the memorials. It consisted of “[trustees]…Edward Henry (Chairman), Misses Chandler and Lucas, and Messrs T T Roberts, H J Munro, A Cousins (Treasurer), and F T Berman (Hon. Secretary) – with Mrs Taylor, Miss Simpson and Mr A McCoy appointed later by the [NSW Teachers] Federation….”6
As the Department of Education had undertaken to pay for the honour board as its contribution to the memorial scheme, the committee’s major initial task was the raising of money for the memorial to the fallen. This was to be a bronze memorial tablet in the Bridge Street vestibule.7
The committee made two major appeals to teachers and teachers associations throughout NSW, and the sum of two hundred and eighty-seven pounds, two shillings and threepence was donated.
Most of this was in hand by mid-1920, and the trustees of the Teachers Association thanked the subscribers “for their ready response”..8 The Assistants Association occupied “…pride of place [among the contributors] with a generous donation of five pounds.”9
By late 1920 the Department’s “…fine Honour Board, made by the staff of Drummoyne Workshops…[had been] erected in the Loftus Street vestibule…”, the 284 names mentioned in the November 1915 circular now having grown to over 700.10 The memorial committee had also hoped to have the bronze tablet completed and erected about the same time so that both memorials could be unveiled as part of the Federation’s Conference proceedings. A letter had actually been written to the President of the Federation outlining the proposed program for the unveiling ceremony, in which the Governor and his wife were to be the main participants, and inviting the Federation’s co-operation.11 However, a major difficulty emerged.