Work on Warrnambool’s new war memorial is expected to start within days, but the hunt is still on for funding to complete the project.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Committee member Duncan Stalker said a building permit had been issued and construction of the state-of-the-art memorial was on track to be finished by November.
Mr Stalker said a funding shortfall of about $80,000 remained. Individuals and organisations wishing to contribute should contact the RSL.
The RSL launched plans for the $330,000 interactive memorial last year, with support from local councils, philanthropic trusts and a community fund-raising campaign.
It will be built on land between the existing stone monument and the RSL building at the end of Liebig Street.
Among the design elements that will set the memorial apart will be an interactive touchscreen, unique to war memorials in regional Australia.
The touchscreen will be housed under a pagoda-style roof, providing searchable information on those involved in conflicts up to the present day.
Warrnambool’s existing memorial makes little reference to conflicts beyond the First World War, and unlike names engraved in stone, the computer-based lists can be updated. Mr Stalker said the memorial would also include about 20 plaques relating to conflicts that Warrnambool and Moyne servicemen and women had been involved in.
A large screen will also show The Last Post being played each evening, in a design that Mr Stalker said would delight young and old. However, plans for a hologram had to be shelved due to the high cost.
People can also still get involved in the memorial’s design through the buy-a-paver project. Families can purchase a paver for a relative that would be engraved with a veteran’s name and serial number from all conflicts, including the First World War. Contact the RSL to get involved.
