Remembrance and recognition through restoration

Remembrance Day gives us the opportunity to reflect on those who gave their lives in service to their country. But among many RSL Sub Branches across Queensland, the act of remembrance is an ongoing commitment that spans longer than just one day and can take many different forms. One of the common ways in which RSL Sub Branches honour remembrance is through war graves and memorial restoration projects.  

Memorialising the once forgotten 

In Far North Queensland, Herberton RSL Sub Branch, Ravenshoe RSL Sub Branch and the Tableland Regional Council joined forces to restore a cenotaph that memorialises the World War I (WWI) soldiers from forgotten township Evelyn Scrubs. 

Before WWI, Evelyn Scrubs was a thriving regional town and home to many farmers and timber getters. But in 1915, 41 local men – who made up 90% of the town’s male population – enlisted to serve their country. Of those who served, many returned with major illness or injuries, or didn’t return at all. 

In 1919, Evelyn Scrub local Edward Daniel – father of Claude Daniel, who served in Gallipoli – decided to create a cenotaph to honour those 41 men. 

Historian and Herberton RSL Sub Branch Treasurer Shaaron Lindwood says the town’s depleted workforce meant that Evelyn Scrub struggled to continue as it was before the war. 

“Most of the men who returned were not able to work as they had before, which meant a lot of the families had to sell their properties and move out of town,” she explains. 

“A number of farms were consolidated and became bigger, with fewer people to manage them. Then there were significant weather events that further impacted the shrinking town, which ultimately led to its end in the 1940s.” 

In early 2025, efforts were made to refurbish the cenotaph in time for upcoming commemorations. As a part of this process, Shaaron has been researching the histories of all 41 men and their families.  

“I enjoy the research; I’ve always been curious,” she says. “And I think it’s important to uncover their stories. They deserve to be heard.” 

Now, Herberton RSL Sub Branch and others in the area use the memorial for local commemorations with the surrounding community. 

“It’s a beautiful spot. Just this year we had a few hundred attend our ANZAC Day service,” Shaaron says. 

“The memorial serves as a reminder of the impact war can have on small communities across Australia. It’s a reminder that sometimes, war can have an everlasting effect on communities and all we are left with are beautiful monuments like this one.” 

Crosses of honour 

In Pittsworth, a group of volunteers from the Pittsworth & District Men’s Shed are working tirelessly with Pittsworth RSL Sub Branch to restore the white crosses on the graves of fallen soldiers buried in Pittsworth Cemetery.  

Pittsworth RSL Sub Branch Vice President and Army veteran Neville Cullen, who is heading up the project, says it has become no small feat.  

“We had originally planned to replace 15 crosses with some spare ones that we had stored at the Sub Branch. But once we got out to the cemetery and noticed the condition the others were in, we knew something had to be done,” Neville says. 

“We then counted that there were 140 crosses in the cemetery, but we had no verification that they were on the correct graves. So, when we sought out help from the Pittsworth Historical Society and their records, we then discovered there should be 207 graves that required crosses! It’s definitely become bigger than what we had originally planned.” 

With the help of a handful of volunteers from the local Men’s Shed and the Sub Branch, each cross is refurbished, repainted, and drilled with a hole in the top so poppies can be tied onto the crosses during commemorations.  

Neville says it’s important to him and the Sub Branch to restore these crosses to honour the legacy of the Pittsworth locals who’ve fought for Australia. 

“To know that so many Pittsworth locals have fought for this country is nothing short of inspiring,” he says. “From what we’ve discovered, we’ve found one who served in the Boer War, a few from WWI, many from WWII and even some who served in Vietnam. 

“Honouring and recognising their service through these crosses is incredibly important to the community as well. Throughout this project, our Sub Branch has worked with the Men’s Shed, the Historical Society and the local high school cadets in one way or another. 

“It’s been great to work with these organisations who have volunteered their time for this project, because we all know that community involvement is the key to the longevity of a Sub Branch.” 

Pittsworth RSL Sub Branch has also recently refurbished a plaque that was donated to the Sub Branch by the Pittsworth Pioneer Village. The plaque was discovered underneath a tree in the village’s garden and after some investigating, the Sub Branch discovered that the plaque honoured eight Pittsworth locals who were killed during WWI over a period of 12 months.  

“We hosted a re-dedication on 20 October this year, which was the anniversary of the plaque, and had members of the community attend the service,” Neville says. 

Veteran graves restored 

In the small country town of Kilcoy, community members have rallied together to refurbish the graves of veterans and previous Kilcoy RSL Sub Branch members who are buried in Kilcoy Cemetery.  

A few years ago, community members who established Friends of Kilcoy Cemetery reached out to the local Sub Branch, as they had identified a few graves that belonged to veterans were in disrepair.  

“Some of the graves had the RSL emblem, some were just a bit of concrete, some had names on them and others didn’t, but it was the state of some graves that was incredibly disheartening,” Kilcoy RSL Sub Branch President John Robinson says. 

Through research, John found that a lot of the veterans in the cemetery were also entitled to an official war grave.  

“We identified about 35 graves in the cemetery belonged to veterans or previous RSL members – some of whom were even entitled to an official war grave,” he says.  

“For those, we’ve started that long application process and for those who are not eligible, we donate funds to assist with their graves’ restoration.”  

Through their fundraising initiatives, Kilcoy RSL Sub Branch makes donations to Friends of Kilcoy Cemetery to assist with the restoration efforts where possible. The restorations can involve structural improvements as well as cleaning and general maintenance.  

“As we’re only a small Sub Branch, we raise most of the funds for our Sub Branch through the selling of badges and other small initiatives of the sorts,” John says.  

“But we help out Friends of Kilcoy Cemetery through donations as well as assisting in investigating the service history of the identified veterans.”  

John says the collaboration between the Sub Branch and the organisation is a testament to the respect the community has for service personnel. 

“Most members of Friends of Kilcoy Cemetery aren’t RSL members, but community members who have a familial connection to Defence,” he says.  

“Our organisations have worked closely together for quite some time and that collaboration is something we’re incredibly proud of. 

“As a Sub Branch, it’s our duty to ensure there’s a proper standard of preserving the memory of those who have died for Australia. And receiving such interest and support from the community in the restoration of these graves is a true indication of the way that the community regards its veterans.

“I’ve been living in Kilcoy for about 20 years, and it never ceases to amaze me how the community engages with the Sub Branch and comes together during commemorations. Kilcoy RSL Sub Branch is widely respected in the community.” 

Remembering their legacy 

These Sub Branches are among many across Queensland that are passionate about honouring – through their projects, and on Remembrance Day – the service and sacrifice of Defence personnel. 

“To me, Remembrance Day is bigger than ANZAC Day,” Neville says.  

“It’s about honouring those who have fought and died in all wars, not just in WWI. And as a fifth-generation veteran who has recently investigated my family’s service history, having a day to commemorate the service of all campaigns my family has been involved in is quite powerful and means so much to me.” 

“As a Navy veteran who grew up in a Defence family, it’s all about remembering the sacrifices that were made, catching up with your mates and upholding that legacy so that future generations can continue the traditions of honouring veterans,” John says.  

“It’s wonderful to see people from Herberton, Ravenshoe and other neighbouring communities gather around the restored memorial for commemorations,” Shaaron says.  

“Most people consider services here to be the most special, simply because of what this memorial symbolises: that we’re there, on the grounds of what used to be Evelyn Scrub, remembering the sacrifices of those men and all who’ve come after.”