Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

4 Glass panels convey stories of heroism, service and sacrifice from different servicemen from Seville.

Seville war memorial committee and Seville township group committee working in partnership with Wayne De Klijn of AQL and Smaq design collaboration.

Funding received
Casey Centenary of Anzac Grants Programme - $10,000
Shire of Yarra Ranges 2016 Arts and Heritage Grant - $10,000
Saluting their Service Commemorative Grant Scheme - $4,000
Victoria State Government - Dept of Premier and Cabinet - $20,000
Dept of Infrastucture, Regional Development and Cities - Community Development Grants - $75,000

The project aimed to provide a commemorative site honouring Seville’s contribution to the national war effort and act as a public work of art.

The memorial features four glass panels, each standing four metres high, featuring the images of local servicemen and informative and emotive pieces detailing their stories.

In 2019, the first panel unveiled on Anzac Day dedicated to George Ingram, the Yarra Valley’s only Victoria Cross recipient.

“It’s not just a war memorial with names on it, but a public work of art and at the same time will educate people for generations to come. It’s full of personal stories and images, it certainly has a level of detail that very few war memorials actually have.”

The remaining three panels on the memorial are set to pay tribute to Bert Read, a soldier wounded at Gallipoli, George Cassidy, who enlisted in the war at just 16 and served in the 4th Australian Light Horse Regiment and Bruce Bethune, who died on active service in New Guinea during WW2.

Bruce Bethune’s features a letter from his sister of the day his family received the telegram notifying them of his death. Another panel features a letter from George Cassidy to his family highlighting the gruesome circumstances of his experience of a charge in the Jordan Valley.

George finished the letter to his family, stating: “I hope the next time I have energy enough to talk of this country, it will be in our own little dining room”.

“We purposely made it quite emotive” “This is something we want to carry on for generations to come. In 100 years people can read those stories and still be moved by them and what their experiences were.”

The memorial was funded by Yarra Ranges Council as well as both state and federal governments. Casey MP Tony Smith pledged $75,000 at the last election to see the completion of the project.

“The new Seville War Memorial is an important project for the town, the Yarra Valley and our nation,” Mr Smith said. “The memorial’s striking glass panels convey stories of heroism, service and sacrifice.

“The community’s determination to appropriately remember veterans from the Seville area is to be commended. The new memorial will be a notable feature of the town and for the Yarra Valley.”

A special ceremony will take place at 2pm on 25 April to commemorate Anzac Day and unveil the finished war memorial. https://mountainviews.mailcommunity.com.au/news/2021-04-07/more-than-a-name-in-stone/?fbclid=IwAR1hqzx-0a95U-8Mwx3GSvwSm0VnNhKPyZ7sp_wZNtxuLz18oBI_8BCu2Nk