Canning War Memorial

Statement of Significance

Canning War Memorial, a white painted, freestanding masonry memorial arch and matching stone panel in a formal garden setting, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:
it is a symbol of national mourning for those who lost their lives in World Wars One and Two;
the memorial is a means of identifying the men and women from the Canning district in alphabetical order; and,
the place is located on a predominant point between two major roads opposite the Canning Town Hall (this present site was used for the erection of a memorial in 1956 to replace the original siting outside the Canning Town Hall from 1921. This was due to road realignment).
The memorial is important at a local level in that it is the only means of identifying the men from the district who served in WWI and WWII, (officilal records are only arranged by name or service unit, rather than home town or place of enlistment). The fact that the names on the memorial are recorded in alphabetical order and are non-hierarchical in that the rank of the men is not identified, can be interpreted as symbolic of a national egalitarian and democratic ethos.

The modest scale of the Canning War Memorial reflects the aspirations, size and degree of propsperity of the local community. While not outstanding for its creative or artistic achievement, the memorial was completely constructed and thoughtfully designed, both in its original form, subsequent relocation and in its later additions of new elements. The arch is not uncommon in the design of memorials and takes a variety of forms, however the design of the Canning War Memorial is probably unusual in the Western Australian context. All war memorials are both representative, because of their symbollic function and unique because of their local community associations and settings.

The memorial has importance for social values; it is valued by the community in general as exemplified by the high standard of maintenance of the memorial itself adn the surrounding garden setting and by the district's RSL sub-branches. It is significant as a community shrine and the site of the traditional ANZAC Day and Armistice Day commemorative services.

Physical Description

Canning War Memorial comprises a Donnybrook stone arch in a formal garden setting, on a reserve near the intersection of Manning Road and Albany Highway. The stonework is now painted white which conceals the craftsmanship of the masonry work. The two machine guns, which adorned the memorial, were removed in 1940 and were not replaced.
The memorial is laid out in a symmetrical arrangement with the arch and flagpole aligned at either end of a central access with garden beds on either side. Lawn areas with crossed garden beds of roses are symmetrically placed, together with informal plantings of trees.
The modest scale of the Canning War Memorial reflects the aspirations, size and degree of prosperity of the local community at the time. While not outstanding for its creative or artistic achievement, the memorial was competently constructed and thoughtfully designed, both in its original form, subsequent relocation and in the later addition of new elements.
The names of men killed in action during World War One are inscribed on two marble tablets mounted on either side of the arch. In addition to the original arch, the memorial includes a matching stone panel bearing the names of the men killed in World War Two and a plaque commemorating the 75th Anniversary of Remembrance Day, 11 November 1993.
A time capsule was buried behind the Arch in 2000 by the City of Canning.

History

From the Queen's Park district it was reported that 230 men enlisted inactive service in the great war and of that number 43 were killed on the battlefield or died of wounds or disease.
In 1921, in line with similar moves by local government and community associations throughout Australia, it was decided to commemorate the sacrifice of the men who had died at war by the erection of a permanent memorial. The site for the memorial was to be outside the then Canning Town Hall.
The memorial was in the form of a monumental arch, which was unveiled on Monday 25 April 1921 by the then Minister for Works (Mr W. J. George). A report in the West Australian dated, Tuesday 26 April 1921 (p.5) set out 'The arch, which is of Tudor design and composed of Donnybrook stone occupies a fine site at the corner of Albany Road and George Street, immediately in front of the local town hall, and both names of the fallen soldiers are inscribed on marble tablets as insets to the supporting columns.’ In his address the Minister for works said that only the day before he had laid the foundation stone of a monument at Gosnells, another part of the then Canning district.
The Town Hall was extended for use as a venue for movies in 1926. The changing use of the place led to dissatisfaction with the site as an appropriate venue for the memorial. In 1948, after World War Two, it was felt that a more appropriate site should be found. A triangular portion of land on the corner of Albany Highway and Manning Road was purchased for that purpose by the Canning Road Board for £150.

Local RSL branches undertook special drives and sought donations to raise money to relocate the structure and to beautify the parkland.
The memorial arch was disassembled by local volunteers in 1956 and transferred to its present location. The move and reconstruction was overseen by local stonemason, A.H Hicks.
In 1993, a plaque commemorating the 75th anniversary of Remembrance Day, 11 November, was added to Canning War Memorial is the site of local Anzac Day and Armistice Day celebrations, and the ashes of some servicemen have been buried on the site.

Integrity/Authenticity

High.
Alterations: Relocation on a new site and the addition of new features to commemorate WWII and Armistice Day, have been made in a sympathetic manner. The stonework is painted which which detracts from the appearance of the memorial and conceals the craftsmanship of the masonry work. The two machine guns were removed in 1940 and were not replaced. The honour board remained in the hall following the re-location of the memorial; its present location is within the local RS&L club building in Wharf St, Cannington. The ashes of former servicemen are buried at the memorial site.

Condition

Good: well maintained

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.