Three plaques, of historic significance, were stolen from Caulfield Park on Good Friday (April 3, 2026). This report comes from the Facebook post of Robert Littlewood (1).
These war memorials were vandalised, removed and stolen on Good Friday: Just in time for ANZAC Day
Beer-Sheba Israel Memorial
The Beer-Sheba Israel Memorial features a plaque that faces Hawthorn Road. Unveiled on 25 April 1995, it commemorates the Light Horse Charge of Beer-Sheba in 1917, during World War I. This was the last triumphant cavalry charge in world history. (2)
The Beer-Sheba Israel Memorial, 2015
The Beer-Sheba Israel Memorial, April 2026
Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Plaque
The Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Plaque commemorates the planting of a tree (directly behind the plaque) in honour of Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat who saved 100,000 Jewish lives in Hungary during World War II.
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The Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Plaque commemorates the planting of a tree (directly behind the plaque) in honour of Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat who saved 100,000 Jewish lives in Hungary during World War II.
Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Plaque, April 2026
Memorial Stone
Adjacent to the new Lone Pine, the Memorial Stone lists the names of 298 people from the Caulfield district who died in World War I. In 2015, we moved the stone from near the rose garden to its current position on the site of the former conservatory, in front of the new Lone Pine.
Adjacent to the new Lone Pine, the Memorial Stone lists the names of 298 people from the Caulfield district who died in World War I. In 2015, we moved the stone from near the rose garden to its current position on the site of the former conservatory, in front of the new Lone Pine.
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The Caulfield World War One Memorial, 2015
The Caulfield World War One Memorial, April 2026
Coming only a few weeks before ANZAC Day, this is an insult to the memory of those Australians who fought and died in the Great War and to the millions of Jewish people murdered in World War Two. Even worse, it is likely they were just stolen for their scrap value.
Contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au, if you have any information on this atrocious act of vandalism.
Footnotes
(1) Robert Littlewood's report is the first I can find on the incident. It was posted on his Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/robert.littlewood.39 on 5/4/2026. However, his description of the monuments comes from the City of Glen Eira website here https://www.gleneira.vic.gov.au/our-city/history-and-heritage/our-monuments-and-sites/war-memorials
(2) The Beer-Sheba charge took place of October 31, 1917 and you can read more about it here
https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/blog/the-charge-of-the-4th-light-horse-brigade-at-beersheba There was a later Cavalry Charge in World War One, at the Battle of Haifa on September 23, 1918, when Indian and British troops captured the city of Haifa from the Ottoman Army. You can read about this here https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/battle-of-haifa-1918-a-saga-of-indian-valour/
Sources
- Robert Littlewood Facebook https://www.facebook.com/robert.littlewood.39
- Dossier 48 website - https://dossier48.wordpress.com/2015/08/06/caulfield-park-memorials/
- Channel 7 interview with Dvir Abramovich on the theft of the plaques - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEQJ5vCVcVM
