Boer War Soldiers plaque, Peace Memorial Library, Colac

On September 12, 1901 the Peace Memorial Library was opened in Colac, as a permanent memorial when peace is declared in South Africa (1). The War, known as the Second Boer War or the South African War, ended on May 31, 1902.

In June 1902, a brass plaque was installed in the front porch of the Library. It had the following inscription This tablet commemorates the death, in the cause of the Empire, of four young men of this district - Edgar Quartus Robertson, Noel Leonard Calvert and Arthur Edward Murphy, who were killed whilst lighting in South Africa, and of Thomas Yates, who died immediately upon his return to Victoria, 1901 (2). The plaque was 27 inches by 21 inches.

The plaque was stolen at the end of July in 1953 (3). The stealing of the plaque commemorating local soldiers is bad enough and shows a lack of respect to the men and their families, but this act contributed to the demolition of the Peace Memorial Library in 1970.  Members of the Colac and District Historical Society petitioned the Council to save the building and although the building was known to be a Peace Memorial, documentation to substantiate this was incomplete. The details of its true identity were preserved in a large brass plaque which, complete with the names of Boer War veterans, was attached to the south wall. Without this evidence the Shire of Colac committed an act of official vandalism and demolished the Peace Memorial Library. (4).

The Peace Memorial Library, Colac, c. 1908.

Photographer: T.R.G. Williams.

State Library of Victoria Image H96.200/1533

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Footnotes
(1) The Age, 13 September 1901, read.
(2) The Age, 17 June, 1902, read.

(3) The Argus, 3 August, 1953, read.
(4) Mcintosh, Ida Forest, Lake and Plain: the history of Colac 1888-1988. City of Colac, 1988, p. 35.

Plaque and bronze lettering, Elwood Life Saving Club

Recently, the commemorative plaque and the bronze letters, John R. Conabere, on the Elwood Life Saving Club Pavilion were stolen. The building was dedicated on October 23, 2004 and was named in honour of John R. Conabere, O.B.E. All that remains are the letters, O.B.E.

The commemorative plaque and bronze letters in situ.

Image courtesy Elwood Life Saving Club

John Russell 'Jack' Conebere was a Life Member, Trustee and former President of the Club. The Elwood Surf Life Saving Club was established in 1911 and Mr Conabere was interviewed by The Age  newspaper in January 1988 and informed the reporter that Elwood was the first club to use the reel and line in rescues and also pioneered the the use of flotation devices, which replaced the reel and line. They were also the  the first club to use marine radio. The report continued with  Listeners to Radio 3KZ were still informed by Elwood life savers about conditions on the Bay, a service started by Mr Conebere in 1956 (1). 

Jack Conabere received his O.B.E in the Queen's Birthday awards in June 1969 in recognition of service to life saving. He passed away January 8, 1989 at the age of 68 (2).

A tribute from the City of St Kilda to Jack Conabere.

The Age January 12, 1989

It seems a shame that a man who devoted so much of his life to keeping the beach at Elwood safe for the thousands of visitors every year, should be treated with such  a lack of respect by the thieves.

Elwood Life Saving Club.

Image: © VanishedVictoria

The wall where the plaque and lettering once was.

Image: © VanishedVictoria

The letters O.B.E are all that remain.

Image: © VanishedVictoria

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Footnotes

(1) Tuohy, Wendy Around the Bay: Elwood published in The Age January 7, 1988. p. 10.

(2) Australian Honours database https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/search; Death notice in The Age January 10, 1989.

Quarantine Station plaque, Point Ormond

There is a cairn on Point Ormond, Elwood which marks the site of Victoria's first quarantine station.  The quarantine station was established on April 24, 1840 when the ship, the Glen Huntley arrived, flying  the yellow quarantine flag. The cairn was unveiled in November 1985, a project of the St Kilda Historical Society and the Elwood Lions Club. Unfortunately the top plaque has recently disappeared. The lower plaque, which commemorates the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the Glen Huntley  is still there.

The missing plaque

Image: © VanishedVictoria

The cairn complete with both plaques, photographed in 2019

Image: © VanishedVictoria

The cairn in May 2022

Image: © VanishedVictoria

In good news, in September 2023 the City of Port Phillip replaced the missing plaque.

The cairn with the replacement plaque

Image: © VanishedVictoria, September 2023

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Levi summer house plaque, St Kilda Botanical Gardens

Commemoration and memorial plaques do vanish and in mid-April 2022 this plaque on the summer house in the St Kilda Botanical Gardens, in Blessington Street, was stolen. The summer house was donated in memory of Albert and Rachael (nee Benjamin) Levi by their children. Their son, Joseph, who was a City of St Kilda Councillor, wrote to the Council in December 1928 -
The family of the late Alfred and Rachael Levi, who were very old residents of our city, desires to perpetuate their memory by placing a memorial in the Botanic Gardens, Blessington street, in the form of a summer house for the use of our citizens. The erection of the summer house was completed in July 1929 (1). 

Some people might say, it's just a plaque, what does it matter? But  it does matter because we have lost the connection between the summer house and the generosity of the Levi family; we have lost a connection to part of the history of St Kilda and we have lost the connection to civic philanthropy, when people would donate land or a fountain or in  this case a summer house, to be freely used by all members of the  community. The plaque can be replaced, but it won't have the same ring of authenticity as the very solid and stylish original.

The missing plaque

Image: © VanishedVictoria

The Levi summer house, St Kilda Botanical Gardens.

Image: © VanishedVictoria

This was not the only plaque stolen in April 2022 from the Elwood St Kilda area, there were several others as well. The City of Port Phillip has issued a media release on these thefts https://www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/about-the-council/news-and-media/brazen-bronze-thefts-in-port-phillip

In good news, in September 2023 the City of Port Phillip replaced the missing plaque.

The replacement plaque

Image: © VanishedVictoria, September 2023

Should you have any information about the original plaque's history or location, please leave a comment below or see 'Contact us' tab for anonymous emailing.

Should you actually possess the item and wish to return it its rightful owners or custodians, please contact us.

Footnote

(1) The quote is from the Prahran Telegraph, December 21, 1928, see here; there is also a report in the Prahran Telegraph of July5, 1929, here.