World War II

World War II – Introduction

Towards memorialising soldier-teachers of World War II, and further honouring their World War I colleagues: the Soldier-Teachers Memorial Committee (World War II)

Appeal for funds

Problems

1955: unveiling of the Departmental plaque for the war dead (World War II), and the Federation House memorial for World War I and World War II service personnel

1963: the placement of the Book of Remembrance in Federation Library

Interpretation of the Beadle Wood-Carving Memorial

On 26 April 1949, Sam Lewis, the President of the Teachers Federation, reported to the Federation’s Executive that:

He had discussed with the General Secretary the possibility of having a memorial erected to the soldiers of World War II. He had also been approached by Mr [Bill] Edgar and Mr Allan of the Teachers Sub-Branch of the RSS & AILA [Returned Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen’s Imperial League of Australia] who stated that they were seeking the co-operation of the Federation and the Education Department in their efforts to erect a memorial. It was suggested that the memorial should be in Federation House. Mr Lewis suggested that the Executive should elect a committee to go into the question [and a committee was immediately established].²⁴

It is interesting to ponder whether these matters had arisen the previous day in a discussion after the ANZAC Day service at the Department of Education. Hearsay suggests that Bill Edgar and Sam Lewis informally discussed the matter at the service, and that Departmental officers and the Teachers Sub-Branch had held a discussion about the same time.

At Federation Council on 21 May 1949 Mr Lewis reported on a meeting he, D A Taylor and W Dobell from the Federation had held with members of the Teachers Sub-Branch of the RSS & AILA. These were Bill Edgar, Ted Lynch, M Gibbons, Ivan (later Sir Ivan) Dougherty, Alan Allan (father of Trevor Allan, Captain of the Australian Rugby Union Wallabies), Col Girdler, David Leithhead, Ian Miller, Ed Bowers and George Harvey. The meeting had discussed proposals for memorialising soldier-teachers, and the representatives had decided to recommend their adoption by their respective organisations. After much discussion and amendments the Council agreed as follows:

1. A committee to be set up to be constituted as follows:
   Patrons: The Director-General of Education and the President of the New South Wales Teachers Federation.
   Chairman and Organiser: to be appointed by the Teachers Sub-Branch [of the RSS & AILA].
   Vice Chairman and Treasurer: to be appointed by New South Wales Teachers Federation.
   Trustees: One representative each of the Education Department, the Teachers Sub-Branch RSS & AILA and New South Wales Teachers Federation. Two other representatives of the Education Department and one other representative of the Teachers Federation and the Teachers Sub-Branch of the RSS & AILA .
2. The Committee to be named “The Soldier-Teachers Memorial Committee”.
3. The Committee be empowered to organise the collection of funds for a suitable memorial to soldier-teachers.
4. A recommendation be made to the Soldier-Teachers Memorial Committee when constituted that the funds be expended as follows:
   1. For a plaque with the names of teachers who died while in the service of the Armed Forces of World War II – to be erected in the Head Office of the Education Department.
   2. For a plaque with the names of all teachers who were in the Armed Services in World Wars I and II – to be erected in Federation House.
   3. The balance of the funds to be invested for the use of the children of deceased service teachers.
   4. When the fund is no longer necessary for (c) above, the balance to be donated for some worthy cause to be decided upon by the Committee, subject to the approval of the Education Department, the Teachers Sub-Branch RSS & AILA and the Teachers Federation.²⁵

The council elected D A Taylor, F Clarke, Miss F Hornibrook and A Barrett as its representatives on the committee.²⁶

The first meeting of the Soldier-Teachers Memorial Committee was held on 30 May 1949 at the Department of Education. The full committee comprised:

Patrons

• The Director-General of Education,
  Mr J G McKenzie
• The President of the Teachers Federation,
  Mr S P Lewis

Chairman

• The President of the Teachers Sub-Branch, RSS & AILA, Mr W Edgar
  Vice Chairman
• Deputy President, Teachers Federation,
  Mr D Taylor

Organiser

• Mr A S T Allan, Teachers Sub-Branch
  Secretary
• Mr E P F Lynch, Teachers Sub-Branch
  Treasurer
• Mr F C Clarke, Teachers Federation
  Trustees
• Mr A V Cooper AICA,
  Dept. of Education (Accountant)
• Miss F M Hornibrook,
  Trustee, Teachers Federation
• Mr M Gibbons VP, Teachers Sub-Branch

Members

• Mr J Back, Deputy Director of Education
• Mr N W Drummond, Superintendent of Education
• Dr H Wyndham, Secretary, Dept. of Education
• Mr A W Barrett, Teachers Federation 27

In his report to Federation Council on 4 June 1949 Mr Don Taylor, Deputy President, stated that the chief decisions of the Committee at this meeting were:

1. A plaque [be placed] at the Education Department building in memory of the dead of World War II
2. A suitable memorial [be placed] at Federation House to the servicemen of both World War I and World War II
3. That any surplus funds be devoted to rendering assistance to the children or widows of deceased ex-service teachers in necessitous circumstances as the result of war service
4. That when the Committee considers there is no further need for the existence of this fund it shall (subject to the approval of the Department of Education, the Teachers Federation and the Teachers Sub-Branch, RSL) devote any balance to Stewart House Preventorium or some similar body
5. That trustees and other members of the Committee be appointed annually by the three co-operating bodies – the Department of Education, the Teachers Federation and the Teachers Sub-Branch, RSL
6. An appeal be launched as soon as practicable for a fund to establish the memorials.²⁸