BirtwistleWiki

Armadale’s Memorial Park in the City’s centre was first set aside for memorial purposes during World War 1. A striking feature is the avenue of trees planted in the early 1920s to commemorate this significant event in the district’s history. Importantly, there is a list of names on one of Australia’s oldest memorial, constructed from especially shaped bricks, locally made in 1916 and relocated to the park in 1956.

A similar obelisk made from local granite was erected in Kelmscott in 1921 to record the names of the local, mainly young men, who volunteered to serve King and Country from Kelmscott, Roleystone and Karragullen. Research, particularly into the names of those listed on the original Armadale memorial revealed that there were names on the obelisk that should not be there, names that should be there but were absent and many names mis-spelt.

Given the large number of itinerant workforce involved in brickmaking, orchards, timber felling and dairy farming it was no surprise to realise that there were errors and omissions on the Armadale and Kelmscott memorials. This Birtwistle Wiki, Our contribution that includes nearly 300 entries with meticulously researched details has attempted not only to correct the shortcomings of the past but also to invite corrections from descendants of the listed individuals, the addition of others who have been overlooked and the donation of head and shoulder photographs that give a personal connection to the enclosed records.

World War 1 researcher for the Birtwistle Local Studies Library Linton Reynolds AM LGM JP