Celebrating 100 Years
Dubbo War Memorial Cenotaph
This Memorial page is an initiative of the Dubbo RSL Sub Branch and Dubbo Regional Council.
On 13 May 1921, a public meeting was held by the citizens of Dubbo to erect a memorial for those who fell during the Great War. Despite a generous response from the local community, it was not until 1924 that construction of the memorial began. The concrete base for the Cenotaph was constructed by local builders Wallace and McGee Ltd., while the stone obelisk was built by Sydney firm Robert Walls and Sons.
On 25 April 1925, the Dubbo Memorial dedication took place during a solemn ANZAC day ceremony. In front of a crowd of 4000 people, Brigadier General James Heane unveiled Dubbo’s War Memorial, designed by Sydney Architects H Crone and R.W Hinton. Crone and Hinton won a competition beating 55 other entries with their austere design. Since its unveiling memorials to the Second World War, and conflicts in Korea, Malaysia, Borneo and Vietnam have been added to the Cenotaph.
The Dubbo War Memorial is distinctive in that it does not include an honour roll. Instead, names of the men who fought and died in the First and Second World Wars are included in the Books of Remembrance. These books, kept secure by Dubbo Regional Council, do not record a complete list of all the men who fought and died, but rather represented a way for local Dubbo families in the 1920s and later decades to memorialise their lost men. Names of two men who fought in the Vietnam War are also included in the Books of Remembrance. Every year on April 25, the people of Dubbo gather at the Dubbo War Memorial Cenotaph to remember and commemorate those who served, fought, and died in conflicts around the world.
Sculpted by Rayner Hoff
A unique feature of the memorial are the bronze reliefs at the base of the Cenotaph created by well-known sculptor Rayner Hoff. Hoff had an enormous influence on the development of sculpture in Australia, particularly in the interwar years where his use of the art deco style to ‘modernise the past for the present’ produced works that were innovative and challenging.
During his career, Hoff and his students created a number of memorial sculptures including the ANZAC Memorial, Sydney and the National War Memorial, South Australia. Dubbo is fortunate to be represented on this list, with Rayner Hoff’s bronze reliefs on the Dubbo Cenotaph being one of the earliest examples of his Australian War Memorial work.
Unveiling Souvenir Programme
