By Neil Lucas
Following the conclusion of World War I in 1919 local residents of Narre Warren North conducted working bees to plant 60 oak trees which were created in an avenue to honour local residents who had fought in the Great War.
Funding was then raised for the construction of a War Memorial which involved the transporting of stone by train to Narre Warren, from where it was carted up to the site in Narre Warren North.
The memorial was duly completed by Anzac Day in 1924 when the dedication and first service was conducted.
The memorial records the names of three local men who died as a result of the conflict – Corporal Henry Battersby, Private Malcolm Collis and Private Robert Moors, together with the names of a further 15 local men who served.
Each year a service was conducted at the memorial.
In 1930 the local paper reported on the Remembrance Day Service – “A service was held at Narre Warren North war memorial on Sunday last; a large gathering assembled at the monument, and later adjourned to the Methodist Church, on account of the rain. Mr. Singleton presided. Mr. a’Beckett was pleased to see such a large gathering. He felt they had a duty to those brave lads who laid down their lives. Later he introduced Captain Griffin, who addressed the congregation and congratulated the people on the sentiment that brought them together. It was fitting that they should honour those lads who never came back, and keep the sacrifice they made before the younger ones who were growing up and who would later carry the burden of citizenship. He was not a public speaker, he said, but he had willingly come to assist, as he felt that was the true spirit. He was pleased to see such a representative gathering, and he hoped the Armistice service would never be neglected. Such gatherings were a great consolation to the relatives here who had suffered the losses, and meetings such as these were also essential to cement and hold the ties of Empire. Appropriate hymns were sung, and Mr. W. R. Angus rendered the solo, “The Man of Sorrows.” After the benediction the National Anthem brought the service to a close.”
Following the conclusion of World War II further names were added to the memorial – Private Walter Newton who died while a prisoner of war in Burma, 44 men who served and three local women who served in the Australian Women’s Army Service (AWAS).
An unfortunate occurrence in the 1960s saw the memorial damaged. A community working bee was being held to clear up around the memorial. This involved the lopping of some branches from an adjacent tree. Alas a branch fell onto the memorial cracking and breaking off the top section of the granite memorial which had to be repaired by pinning.
Two local men served in the Vietnam War and their names were added to the memorial following the end of that conflict.
The Memorial was refurbished and rededicated at a service conducted 80 years later on Anzac Day 2004.
From the time of the original land surveys in the area, Narre Warren North Road included what is now named Memorial Drive, and ran through to a T intersection at Main Street Narre Warren North.
When the former City of Berwick acquired land to provide a deviation of the Narre Warren North Road into the Hallam-Belgrave Road the northern section of the road at Narre Warren North was renamed Memorial Drive.
