Inverell Honor Roll

15th July 2019

On Friday 27 August 1923 The Inverell Times newspaper reported that at a large ceremony held at Inverell Town Hall, the Honor Roll was unveiled by Mrs Wright of Bundarra Road. Her five sons had served during the War; one was Killed in Action in 1918. This Roll, with hundreds of names engraved on brass plates, was originally designed by architect, Herbert E Ross, and had a Royal Coat of Arms at the top with the inscription:-

To our comrades of the Inverell District who participated in the Great War 1914-19.

After dedication by NSW Governor Strickland in August 1916, the Roll was kept at the Town Hall.

In preparation for Inverell’s Jubilee Celebrations in 1922, the Honor Roll was sent to Rayner and Co. in Sydney for mounting in brass. Unfortunately it was destroyed in a fire in Adams’ buildings. Luckily a copy of the names had been made and was off site at the time of the fire, so a new Roll was able to be created, although it was not completed until 1923. (Inverell Times 23 September 1923) It is set in polished oak, framed in bronze with the names in black lettering.

Originally housed at the Town Hall, the Roll was moved to the front of the new Memorial Swimming Pool when it opened in 1958. During the WW1 Centenary period some restoration work was done and several brass plaques added at the bottom recording names not originally submitted for inclusion.

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