War Memorials – Laverton Honour Board

“Deeds that should not go unnoticed, Names that must not be forgotten”

Introduction

The content of these pages take us back to a time when not only were the townships of Laverton and Altona still at their early beginnings, but also at a time of turmoil where existed in the world like never before. Whilst we have enjoyed learning more about those who willingly stood up to serve their country and the empire, their stories have also highlighted the incredible suffering that they must have endured during their time abroad, in the midst of such a terrible conflict. Their stories have given us a heightened level of respect for these people and a sense how the ‘community spirit’ that exists today came about across our district.

The material contained in this publication is a result of the contribution of the members of the Altona-Laverton Historical Society who contributed knowledge, images, background, research, editing, and encouragement.

The building currently known as ‘The Old Laverton School’, originally the Laverton State School, was a recruitment point for those wishing to enlist during World War 1 and a meeting venue for locals of that time. Laverton was a small farming community, when war was declared in 1914 and the local men were eager to enlist. During the war period 26 local men volunteered for active service abroad. For its population, as noted in the Werribee Banner (20 December 1917), ‘the whole Shire had responded splendidly to the call of the mother country’ and a greater percentage of men claimed Laverton as their home or enlisted from there than any other place the same size.

The honor board was made by F K Cox & Co and was unveiled on 24 October 1922 by the Director of Education, Mr F Tate. The unveiling was marked with some ceremony and was attended by many influential people of the time. The board lists, on the left-hand side, those who had attended the school, whilst of the right-hand side, those who were or had been residents of the district. In fact, whilst the Honor Board contains the names of 26 men, another five could have quite rightly also been listed on this Board. Their names will be included on these pages alongside their mates and brothers.

The Laverton School was chosen as it was the hub of this close knit community that covered by Laverton and Altona or Altona Bay as it was then known. The board remains within the School building to this day, some 97 years after it was constructed and unveiled. Like so many similar boards that can be found in many public buildings, churches, halls and work places, these boards were important to post war society. Not only do they serve as a reminder of sacrifices made but are also a permanent memorial to a time, but not a memory, long past. Whilst a large number of those named on the board returned wounded, Alfred ‘Lin’ Newland was the only, volunteer from the district, to make the supreme sacrifice and not return home to his family.

The menu, on the right, list the names of each of the twenty-six young men listed on the honour board and their stories. Following these are the names and stories of five others who served and were either born or living in the Laverton or Altona Bay area and who, for what ever reasons, were not included on the honour board but their stories still deserve to be included here.