The First World War Honour Board is a heritage-listed

memorial 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 or works of a ...

at the

Lands Administration Building Land Administration Building is a heritage-listed former government building at 142 George Street, Brisbane, George Street, Brisbane City, Queensland, Brisbane City, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Thomas Pye (archit ...

, 142 George Street, Brisbane City,

City of Brisbane The City of Brisbane is a local government area (LGA) which comprises the inner portion of the metropolitan area of Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, Australia. Its governing body is the Brisbane City Council. Unlike LGAs in the other mainl ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Australia. It was designed by Alexander Robertson McKellar and built in 1917 by George Varley Boyce. It was added to the

Queensland Heritage Register The Queensland Heritage Register is a heritage register, a statutory list of places in Queensland, Australia that are protected by Queensland legislation, the Queensland Heritage Act 1992. It is maintained by the Queensland Heritage Council. As a ...

on 21 October 1992.

History

The First World War Honour Board was erected by employees of the Queensland Lands Department in 1917, as a tribute to fellow staff on active service. The overall design was created by Alexander Robertson McKellar, a draftsman in the lithographic branch of the survey section. The affixed metal plaque was designed by Arnold Vivan Thomas, the officer in charge of the lithographic branch. Manufacture was carried out at the Queensland Government railway workshops at

Ipswich Ipswich () is a port town and borough in Suffolk, England, of which it is the county town. The town is located in East Anglia about away from the mouth of the River Orwell and the North Sea. Ipswich is both on the Great Eastern Main Line r ...

, and the wood carving was crafted by noted local wood carver George Varley Boyce, who taught carving at

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

technical schools from c.1902 to 1916. The honour board was unveiled by the then

Governor of Queensland The governor of Queensland is the representative in the state of Queensland of the monarch of Australia. In an analogous way to the governor-general of Australia at the national level, the governor Governors of the Australian states, performs c ...

, Sir

Hamilton Goold-Adams Sir Hamilton John Goold-Adams, (27 June 1858, in Jamesbrook, County Cork – 12 April 1920) was an Irish soldier and colonial administrator, who served as Governor of Queensland from 1915 to 1920. Early life Born in the townland of Jamesbrook in ...

, on 2 May 1917. It remains a focus for

Anzac Day , image = Dawn service gnangarra 03.jpg , caption = Anzac Day Dawn Service at Kings Park, Western Australia, 25 April 2009, 94th anniversary. , observedby = Australia Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Cook Islands New ...

commemoration, with wreaths being laid before the honour board each April 25. The board was restored by the Lands Department in 1981.

Description

Honour Board, Lands Administration Building, 1917

The honour board is affixed to the wall of the main corridor on the first floor of the

in Brisbane, immediately opposite the George Street elevator. It is a large honour board, high by wide, constructed of Queensland silky oak. A central panel of red bean bears the

Queensland coat of arms The coat of arms of Queensland is the oldest in Australia, and was first granted by Queen Victoria in 1893 through the simplest form of heraldic grants; with the shield of arms, motto, helmet, mantling and crest. Suggestions and submissions ...

and the gold-painted names of 94 departmental staff and authorised surveyors who served in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. The surrounds are carved in a stippled pattern with lotus plants (an ancient symbol of sleep) in relief in the lower section. The latter rarely appear on Queensland war memorials. Within a rich moulding of laurel leaves in the upper left hand corner is an oval-shaped metal plaque depicting in

bas relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...

a cavalry charge and infantry soldiers advancing in battle, intended to illustrate the different fighting units in action. A carved scroll unfolds from the plaque and bears the relief lettering Roll of Honour. The whole board is set into a simple frame.

Heritage listing

First World War Honour Board was listed on the

on 21 October 1992 having satisfied the following criteria. The place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland's history. * As a unique record in Queensland of participation and sacrifice in the First World War. * For its material richness, fine craftsmanship and unique design amongst Queensland war memorials. * As the only identified public work of local Brisbane wood carver George Varley Boyce. The place demonstrates rare, uncommon or endangered aspects of Queensland's cultural heritage. * As a unique record in Queensland of participation and sacrifice in the First World War. The place is important because of its aesthetic significance. * For its material richness, fine craftsmanship and unique design amongst Queensland war memorials. The place is important in demonstrating a high degree of creative or technical achievement at a particular period. * For its material richness, fine craftsmanship and unique design amongst Queensland war memorials. The place has a special association with the life or work of a particular person, group or organisation of importance in Queensland's history. * As the only identified public work of local Brisbane wood carver George Varley Boyce.

References

Attribution

External links

{{Commons category-inline, First World War Honour Board, Lands Administration Building Queensland Heritage Register Heritage of Brisbane World War I memorials in Queensland Articles incorporating text from the Queensland Heritage Register 1917 sculptures George Street, Brisbane