A photograph of the dedication ceremony for the Longwarry war memorial in 1919.
The first public meeting to discuss the welcoming home of returning soldiers to the Longwarry district was held in 1917, according to local newspaper reports. It followed the return of Pte G. Bissett who returned with war injuries.
It was suggested that a local committee be formed to give Pte Bissett and all other returning soldiers a public reception. It would also honour those who would never return.
The meeting moved that the league be formed and named "The Longwarry Soldiers Memorial League". An entrance fee and a yearly subscription was proposed.
The town had pledged to build a monument to the fallen from the district at a site near the railway crossing. It was decided subscription funds would go towards the building of this monument.
The funds also were used for a public reception to honour diggers. A suitably inscribed gold medal was presented to support families of those who didn't return.
The Longwarry Soldiers Memorial League applied to the Buln Buln Shire Council at its meeting on July 7, 1919 for permission to remove a tree on the site of the proposed memorial. Permission was granted.
Later that year, the league applied to council for a public holiday to be declared for the unveiling on November 12.
The Gazette reported on the unveiling of the £300 granite monument that stood 5.5 metres tall. It described a crowd of about 2000 people who were loud in their praise of the committee, the town decorated with flags and bunting of every description and how "Longwarry never looked prettier or busier than on that afternoon".
The dedication ceremony was conducted by captain Stanley Bruce, local Federal politician who later became the eighth Prime Minister of Australia.
The names of 119 heroes from Longwarry were inscribed on the monument.
With the roadway expanding, a new site was suggested in 1969. It was moved to its present Memorial Park position and consecreated on October 15, 2000.
Another name was added in 2019 following a project initiated by the Longwarry and District History Group.
The group, working with students from Labertouche and Longwarry schools, conducted research to commemorate the centenary of the Armistice in 2018. This research was presented to the local RSL who accepted nurse Mary Kennedy, who was born in Longwarry, should be added to the memorial.
A grant was obtained from RSL Victoria and Mary's name was unveiled on November 11, 2019 at a rededication of the memorial on its 100th anniversary. Returned service personnel from subsequent conflicts were remembered via plaques attached to the bottom step in later years.
Photograph and information courtesy of the Longwarry and District History Group.
The group is dedicated to preserving the history of all districts within the 3816 postcode. Visit longwarryhistory.org to find out more.