The distinctive and very attractive building came into being due to the dedication of the community to create a useful monument dedicated to the soldiers who fought in the war:
” . . . A fair number of residents attended the meeting in tho Isis Shire Hall on Monday evening to consider the matter of proposed war memorial for the Isis district. The chairman (Councillor T. Gaydon) said the memorial they ought to erect should be one that would contain such war trophies, as they were able to secure, and be a continuous lesson on national pride in the British flag. His idea was that it should take the form of a public hall to contain accommodation for our returned soldiers as a clubroom, accommodation for a School of Arts, and municipal offices. Every Isis soldiers’ portrait, with his record should be hung in the building. Such a building might cost £5000, but this was not too much for the district. Mr. R. T. Howard (president of the local branch of the R.S.S.I. League) said the chairman’s scheme coincided in a very great measure with the returned soldiers’ idea of the fitness of such a memorial. They were not in favour of a monument, which was of no use and little ornament. After discussion, Mr. A. P. Stoward (returned soldier) moved, “That this meeting is of the opinion that the most suitable form of war memorial is the erection of a memorial hall, to include accommodation for local government offices, offices for the sub-branch of the Returned Soldiers’ Association, reading room and library for the School of Arts, together with a public hall. “Dr. Robertson seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. It was also resolved, “That the memorial hall should be erected on the site at present occupied by the Court House building in Main-street, and that stcps be taken by deputation to the Government in the endeavour to secure its concurrence.” . . . “
Source: Excerpt – ‘The Brisbane Courier’ – Article – ‘Childers Memorial Hall’ – published 21st April 1919
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Seven years later, almost to the day, the grand memorial building, the first of its kind, was opened:
” . . . Isis War Memorial. – The official opening and dedication of the lsis War Memorial took place on April 25, in the presence of upwards of 600 people. Scores of cars lined the streets, and altogether the occasion was a red-letter day in the history of Childers and the Isis. The memorial was planned, supervised, and built by returned soldiers, and it is understood it is the first of its kind in the Commonwealth. It comprises one room, which is set aside as a memorial to the fallen, having a separate bronze tablet for each of the men who made the supreme sacrifice, and who enlisted from the district. Another room is set aside for the returned soldiers in the district to use as they deem fit. The chair was taken by Councillor Thomas Gaydon (Chairman of the Isis Shire Council). In his address Councillor Gaydon traced the history of the memorial movement in the district since its inception until the present time, when they saw the result of their labour in a worthy structure, costing upwards of £4000. The building was in the form of a cross, and in the event of any additions being made in the future they would be built in such a way as to accentuate the idea of the cross. Mr. W. A. Brand performed the opening ceremony. Following the ceremony, the building was dedicated by the clergy, after which the “Reveille” was sounded by Bandmaster C. Thompson, and the Union Jack was unfurled at the top of the building. The memorial wing to the memory of the fallen soldiers was opened by Miss Adie, while the room for the use of soldiers in the district was opened by Mrs. Eppa. Major Heath suitably responded, after which a number of wreaths were placed on the tablets to the memory of deceased soldiers . . . “
Source: Excerpt – ‘The Brisbane Courier’ – Article ‘Childers’ – published 3rd May 1926.
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