Warrnambool's World War I cannon needs major repairs

The two howitzers were removed from Cannon Hill for repairs in June last year, but only one was returned in March after it was made safe.

The other was "deemed to need more extensive restoration work" than was possible right now, the city council's chief executive officer Peter Schneider said.

"Council will work with the RSL to determine the best way forward with this cannon," he said.

After years of exposure to the elements, parts of the guns had rusted to a point where they were no longer safe to be on display, so the council removed them for repair after they had to be fenced off for some time.

Businesses volunteered their services to house and transport the guns while volunteers worked on the repairs.

"A full restoration would have been very expensive, so the aim of these works was to get the guns into a condition where they were both presentable and safe, rather than fully restored," Mr Schneider said.

"The gun that was able to be returned to Cannon Hill looks the best it has in many years."

RSL president Mike Bellamy said he was keen to work with the council on a plan for the howitzer.

"It's an important part of our history. It's a part of that precinct. We're happy to work with the council to get them as reasonably restored as they can be," Mr Bellamy said.

A full restoration of the guns would have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, the council said last year.

The German field guns were brought to Warrnambool in 1921 for display, and were dedicated on Anzac Day that year.

They were part of a huge amount of enemy equipment captured by Australian forces in 1918 and were chosen because of their links to the Warrnambool soldiers who fought on the Western Front.

"At the end of the war the war trophies as such were divided up and sent off to communities that put their hands up to have them," war historian David McGuiness said.

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"We had quite a few guys that served in the 23^rd battalion and it was a bit of tribute to them," he said.

"In all honestly they have done very, very well compared to a lot of other guns.

"Some people say they need to be restored, but I think they just need preservation work because restoring them is just not going to happen."

The 150mm howitzer dates back to 1913, and the 105mm gun which has been returned to Cannon Hill, dates back to 1909.

The guns overlooked Lady bay until 1984 when the timber wheels disintegrated and metal corroded.

They were removed and kept in a council storeyard until the RSL stepped in and volunteers stepped up to repair them.

They were returned to Cannon Hill in December 1985 where they sat until last year.

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