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Goombungee War Memorial

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A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event . Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects such as homes or other sites, or works of art such as sculptures , statues , fountains or parks . Larger memorials may be known as monuments .

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50-559: Goombungee War Memorial is a heritage-listed memorial at Hartwig Street, Goombungee , Toowoomba Region , Queensland , Australia. It was built in 1920 by R C Ziegler and Son . The architect was Harry Marks . It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. The Goombungee War Memorial was unveiled on 11 December 1920 by Major General Sir Thomas William Glasgow , and Brigadier-General James Campbell Robertson CB, CMG, DSO, MID (x7) represented

100-587: A World War II veteran and film maker, presents a different view of the origins of the Anzac tradition in his film Forging the Anzac Tradition, The Untold Story . Young argues that "If Gallipoli is the birthplace of the Anzac acronym, then the Western Front is where the Anzac legend grew up, stood tall and cemented their place in international history; and in our hearts". He points out that five times

150-567: A pedestal surmounted by a digger statue. It sits on a large square base of smooth-faced stone. Projecting from this is recessed square section with leaded marble plates on each face. These bear the names of the 29 local men who fell in the First World War and the 8 who fell in the Second World War . Also projecting from the base, at each corner are free-standing columns with Doric order capitals and bases. These support

200-496: A digger statue it is representative of the most popular form of memorial in Queensland. The place is important because of its aesthetic significance. This particular memorial is of aesthetic significance both as a dominant landmark and for its high degree of workmanship and design. The place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons. It has

250-422: A large cornice consisting of a series of steps and mouldings . The digger statue stands above this on a base of three steps, square in plan, of decreasing size. His head is bowed and his hands rest on the top of a rifle which is reversed. Goombungee War Memorial was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992 having satisfied the following criteria. The place is important in demonstrating

300-511: A memorial gift (usually money) be given to a designated charity, or that a tree be planted in memory of the person. Those temporary or makeshift memorials are also called grassroots memorials. Sometimes, when a student has died, the memorials are placed in the form of a scholarship, to be awarded to high-achieving students in future years. Memorials to persons or events of major significance may be designated as national memorials . ANZAC Spirit The Anzac spirit or Anzac legend

350-554: A more complex, diverse and inclusive understanding of identity. More broadly, Dr Martin Ball of the University of Melbourne argues that conflating the Anzac spirit with a collective Australian national character exposes an uncritically narrow understanding of Australian history: The Anzac tradition holds many values for us all to celebrate, but the myth also suppresses parts of Australian history that are difficult to deal with. Anzac

400-440: A sardonic sense of humour, was contemptuous of danger, and proved himself the equal of anyone on the battlefield. Bean encapsulated the meaning of Anzac in his publication Anzac to Amiens : Anzac stood, and still stands, for reckless valor in a good cause, for enterprise, resourcefulness, fidelity, comradeship, and endurance that will never own defeat. 1958 saw the publication of Russel Ward 's The Australian Legend . Promoting

450-433: A strong association with the community as evidence of the impact of a major historic event. The place has a special association with the life or work of a particular person, group or organisation of importance in Queensland's history. It also has special association with Toowoomba architect H J Marks as an unusual example of his work, and with monumental masons R C Ziegler and Son. [REDACTED] This Misplaced Pages article

500-440: Is a concept which suggests that Australian and New Zealand soldiers possess shared characteristics, specifically the qualities those soldiers allegedly exemplified on the battlefields of World War I . These perceived qualities include endurance, courage, ingenuity, good humour, larrikinism , and mateship . According to this concept, the soldiers are perceived to have been innocent and fit, stoical and laconic , irreverent in

550-412: Is more accurate to describe the concept as a mythology . Dr Dale Blair of Deakin University suggests that: While traits such as egalitarianism, resourcefulness and initiative are assumed and maintained in the nation's popular memory as a truthful representation, not only of Australia's First World War soldiers, but also, of the national character, they were not sufficiently evident in the experience of

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600-534: Is regarded as an Australian legend, although its critics refer to it as the Anzac myth . The British war correspondent Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett provided the first reports of the landing at Anzac Cove by the newly formed Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC). His report was published in Australia on 8 May 1915: They waited neither for orders nor for the boats to reach the beach, but, springing out into

650-484: Is similarly pointed to in some quarters as forming an important component of New Zealand national identity. The New Zealand Government's Ministry of Culture and Heritage states: New Zealand soldiers distinguished themselves with their courage and skill, establishing an enduring bond with the Australians they fought alongside ... Great suffering was caused to a small country by the loss of so many of its young men. But

700-536: Is still today frequently expressed. For example, in 2006 the Governor-General of Australia, Michael Jeffery gave an address in which he said that although the Anzacs lost the campaign they created a lasting identity for Australia: We are summoned to recall the battle sacrifices of Australian farmers and tally clerks, teachers and labourers and to commemorate outstanding courage and strength of character in

750-419: Is the gravestone or the memorial plaque . Also common are war memorials commemorating those who have died in wars. Memorials in the form of a cross are called intending crosses . Online memorials are often created on websites and social media to allow digital access as an alternative to physical memorials which may not be feasible or easily accessible. When somebody has died, the family may request that

800-523: The Broadmeadows camp before being shipped to war. Others confronted police in violent scuffles on the streets of Melbourne . Clark also recorded that in Egypt some soldiers burned the belongings of local people, brawled, got drunk and rioted. Other scholars such as professor of politics at La Trobe University , Robert Manne , have also questioned the veracity of the Anzac legend, arguing that it

850-707: The Queensland Institute of Architects and Toowoomba architect Harry Marks subsequently prepared the design. Henry (Harry) James Marks was born in Toowoomba in 1871. After training with his father James, also an architect, he entered into partnership with him in 1892. He was considered a creative designer and was responsible for many buildings on the Darling Downs as well as two Roman Catholic Churches in Brisbane . In 1925 he became an Associate of

900-532: The Queensland Institute of Architects , becoming a Fellow 1929. He died in Toowoomba in 1939 after spending his entire career there. The memorial is an unusual example of his work. Although the monument was produced by well known Toowoomba masons R C Ziegler and Son, it is likely that the digger statue was imported from Italy. The firm of R C Ziegler and Son was established in Toowoomba in c.  1902 and produced many memorials throughout south western Queensland. The family company moved to Bundaberg where it

950-508: The Returned and Services League of Australia states: The Spirit of the ANZAC continues today in times of hardship such as cyclones, floods and bush fires. At those times Australians come together to rescue one another, to ease suffering, to provide food and shelter, to look after one another, and to let the victims of these disasters know they are not alone. In New Zealand, the Anzac spirit

1000-414: The 1st Battalion [at Gallipoli] to justify their advancement as characteristics general to Australian soldiers or the nation. According to Blair, the official war historian Charles Bean "advanced an idealised view of sacrifice to provide the nation with higher meaning and comfort as compensation for the death of its soldiers". Bean wrote in his diary that the "rule of censorship forbids criticism", and that

1050-657: The Anzac spirit is often invoked. Coming just fourteen years after the Federation of Australia , the Gallipoli campaign was one of the first international events that saw Australians taking part as Australians. As such, it has been seen as a key event in forging a sense of national identity. According to history professor Dr Frank Bongiorno : The Gallipoli campaign was the beginning of true Australian nationhood. When Australia went to war in 1914, many white Australians believed that their Commonwealth had no history, that it

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1100-416: The Anzacs "forged values that are ours and make us who we are, reminding us that there are some truths by which we live." Nelson had earlier argued that the story of Simpson and his donkey rescuing wounded men at Gallipoli "represents everything that's at the heart of what it means to be an Australian". The Anzac spirit is also sometimes said to be exhibited during Australian civilian crises. For example,

1150-582: The First World War. In 1924 Bean wrote that: Anzac Day now belongs to the past and during the war all energy was concentrated on the future but the influence of the Gallipoli Campaign upon the national life of Australia and New Zealand has been far too deep to fade… it was on the 25th of April 1915 that the consciousness of nationhood was born. The popular belief that the Anzacs, through their spirit, forged Australia's national character,

1200-502: The Gallipoli campaign showcased attitudes and attributes - bravery, tenacity, practicality, ingenuity, loyalty to King and comrades - that helped New Zealand define itself as a nation, even as it fought unquestioningly on the other side of the world in the name of the British Empire. After Gallipoli, New Zealand had a greater confidence in its distinct identity, and a greater pride in the international contribution it could make. And

1250-672: The Toowoomba sub-branch of the R.S.S.I.L.A. It was designed by Henry James (Harry) Marks and produced by masons R C Ziegler and Son of the Downs Electric Monumental Works. The stone memorial honours the local men who fell in the First and Second World Wars . In 1919, the residents of Goombungee wrote to the New South Wales Memorials Advisory Board for advice regarding its proposed memorial. The board referred their request to

1300-538: The anti-war demonstrations over Australian involvement in the Vietnam War. A resurgence in popular commemoration of Anzac Day in the 1980s (possibly linked to the release of the film Gallipoli ) brought the idea of an Anzac spirit back into prominence in Australian political discourse. There has been an increase in people, especially youth, attending Anzac Day Dawn Services in Australia and New Zealand, where

1350-468: The book's first edition, Scott linked the European settlement of Australia with the idea of Australia becoming a nation on the battlefields of Gallipoli: This Short History of Australia begins with a blank space on the map and ends with the record of a new name on the map, that of Anzac. Charles Bean also propagated this view, extending the notion to suggest that New Zealand nationhood was also born in

1400-518: The digger statue is the most common. It was the most popular choice of communities responsible for erecting the memorials, embodying the ANZAC Spirit and representing the qualities of the ideal Australian: loyalty, courage, youth, innocence and masculinity. The digger was a phenomenon peculiar to Queensland, perhaps due to the fact that other states had followed Britain's lead and established Advisory Boards made up of architects and artists, prior to

1450-540: The egalitarianism of the Australian bush and its permutation into the Anzac soldiers as the Australian Legend, it soon became a landmark book in Australian historical writing. During the 1960s and 1970s, due to lack of observance of Anzac Day in general society, the idea of a unique Anzac spirit began to fade. Especially among baby boomers , interest in Anzac Day reached its lowest point in the aftermath of

1500-475: The erection of war memorials. The digger statue was not highly regarded by artists and architects who were involved in the design of relatively few Queensland memorials. Most statues were constructed by local masonry firms, although some were by artists or imported. The First World War Memorial is situated at the intersection of the two main streets in Goombungee. The painted sandstone memorial comprises

1550-421: The evolution or pattern of Queensland's history. War Memorials are important in demonstrating the pattern of Queensland's history as they are representative of a recurrent theme that involved most communities throughout the state. They provide evidence of an era of widespread Australian patriotism and nationalism , particularly during and following the First World War. The place is important in demonstrating

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1600-569: The face of authority, naturally egalitarian , and disdainful of British class differences . The Anzac spirit also tends to capture the idea of an Australian and New Zealand "national character", with the Gallipoli Campaign sometimes described as the moment of birth of the nationhood both of Australia and of New Zealand. It was first expressed in the reporting of the landing at Anzac Cove by Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett ; as well as later on and much more extensively by Charles Bean . It

1650-530: The face of sustained adversity... [The campaign] won for us an enduring sense of national identity based on those iconic traits of mateship, courage, compassion and nous. An extension of this belief is the idea that the Anzacs set an example for future generations of Australians to follow, laying the bedrock of "Australian values". In 2007 the Australian Defence Minister Brendan Nelson articulated this view, stating that

1700-450: The mutual respect earned during the fighting formed the basis of the close ties with Australia that continue today. Professor Manning Clark , in his influential work A History of Australia , suggested a contrasting image of the innocent and honourable Anzac soldier. From a range of sources he provided evidence of the soldiers' bad behaviour. For example, he documented that, as recruits, some indulged in sex orgies with an 18-year-old girl at

1750-609: The nation. Even before the end of the war, memorials became a spontaneous and highly visible expression of national grief. To those who erected them, they were as sacred as grave sites, substitute graves for the Australians whose bodies lay in battlefield cemeteries in Europe and the Middle East. British policy decreed that the Empire war dead were to be buried where they fell. The word " cenotaph ", commonly applied to war memorials at

1800-437: The number of men died in the "real war" at the Western Front than at the disastrous Gallipoli diversion, yet many Australians know very little of this sacrifice. Some have also critiqued the masculine underpinnings of the Anzac legend. According to popular notions of the Anzac spirit, the male bonding or mateship becomes the main characteristic in the description of Australianess, yet these characteristics are seen to imply that

1850-449: The principal characteristics of a particular class of cultural places. The monuments manifest a unique documentary record and are demonstrative of popular taste in the inter-war period. Unveiled in 1920, the memorial at Goombungee demonstrates the principal characteristics of a commemorative structure erected as an enduring record of a major historical event. This is achieved through the use of appropriate materials and design elements. As

1900-400: The sea, they waded ashore, and, forming some sort of rough line, rushed straight on the flashes of the enemy's rifles. Ashmead-Bartlett's account of the soldiers was unashamedly heroic: There has been no finer feat in this war than this sudden landing in the dark and the storming of the heights... General Birdwood told the writer that he couldn't sufficiently praise the courage, endurance and

1950-754: The self-doubt? The danger in the transformation - as remembrance replaces memory, and nationalism replaces remembrance - is that the solemnity and the serious purpose of Anzac Day will be lost in an irrelevant search for some kind of essence of Australianness. Similarly, historian Mark McKenna disputes the notion that the character traits that supposedly define the Anzac spirit are uniquely and demonstrably Australian, arguing that these virtues are in fact universal, being "found in Palestine and Iraq, in Darfur and East Timor, in Afghanistan and Zimbabwe." Alan Young,

2000-529: The soldierly qualities of the Colonials (The Australians) were happy because they had been tried for the first time and not found wanting. Also in 1915, in response to the reporting of the efforts of the Australian troops, the Australian poet Banjo Paterson wrote "We're All Australians Now", including the verse: The mettle that a race can show Is proved with shot and steel, And now we know what nations know And feel what nations feel. The Anzac spirit

2050-455: The time, literally means "empty tomb". Australian war memorials are distinctive in that they commemorate not only the dead. Australians were proud that their first great national army, unlike other belligerent armies, was composed entirely of volunteers, men worthy of honour whether or not they paid the supreme sacrifice. Many memorials honour all who served from a locality, not just the dead, providing valuable evidence of community involvement in

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2100-400: The true Australian is inevitably and only male. Some feminists have therefore described this notion as being exclusionary and discriminatory , and contend that, as a result, it cannot possibly define what it means to be Australian. Professor Joy Damousi has questioned a view of an Australian national character which relies exclusively on militarism and heroism, arguing that this obscures

2150-575: The war correspondent should avoid "needlessly distressing their families at home". Professor Verity Burgmann of the University of Melbourne argues that the prevailing picture of Anzac and later battles on the Western Front as the highest representation of national unity and shared sacrifice is a misrepresentation, because two conscription referendums were defeated in Australia, and many Australians were totally opposed to any participation in

2200-538: The war. Conflicting reports on the factual events of the landing at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915, continue to surface with conflicting eye-witness reporting. Other sceptics have questioned the idea that Australia's "national character" was forged on the beaches of Gallipoli. In 2008 an editorial in the Sydney Morning Herald stated: But why should Australians now, 90 years later, be still so eager for some stereotypical reaffirmation of their character? Why

2250-418: The war. Such evidence is not readily obtainable from military records, or from state or national listings, where names are categorised alphabetically or by military unit. Australian war memorials are also valuable evidence of imperial and national loyalties, at the time, not seen as conflicting; the skills of local stonemasons, metalworkers and architects; and of popular taste. In Queensland, the digger statue

2300-409: Was not yet a true nation, that its most glorious days still lay ahead of it. In this sense the Gallipoli campaign was a defining moment for Australia as a new nation. Ernest Scott 's influential A Short History of Australia , which remained a standard school text for nearly four decades from 1916 and went through six editions in its author's lifetime, clearly enunciated this concept. In the preface to

2350-523: Was originally based on "The Queensland heritage register" published by the State of Queensland under CC-BY 3.0 AU licence (accessed on 7 July 2014, archived on 8 October 2014). The geo-coordinates were originally computed from the "Queensland heritage register boundaries" published by the State of Queensland under CC-BY 3.0 AU licence (accessed on 5 September 2014, archived on 15 October 2014). Memorial The most common type of memorial

2400-425: Was particularly popularised by Charles Bean , Australia's official war historian. For the soldiers at Battle of Gallipoli , Bean argued, life would not have been worth living if they had betrayed the ideal of mateship. Despite the loss at Gallipoli, Australian and New Zealand soldiers were seen to have displayed great courage, endurance, initiative and discipline. The Anzac rejected unnecessary restrictions, possessed

2450-422: Was still operating in 2014. Australia, and Queensland in particular, had few civic monuments before the First World War . The memorials erected in its wake became our first national monuments, recording the devastating impact of the war on a young nation. Australia lost 60,000 from a population of about 4 million, representing one in five of those who served. No previous or subsequent war has made such an impact on

2500-449: Was the popular choice of memorial, whereas the obelisk predominated in the southern states, possibly a reflection of Queensland's larger working-class population and a lesser involvement of architects. Many of the First World War monuments have been updated to record local involvement in later conflicts, and some have fallen victim to unsympathetic re-location and repair. Although there are many different types of memorials in Queensland,

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