Minister inspects Stawell memorial
Victorian Veterans Affairs Minister Shaun Leane has seen first-hand the results of State Government funding for the restoration of a war memorial in Stawell.
Mr Leane inspected the memorial during a visit to the Wimmera city.
The State Government provided the council with $36,370 for the restoration work through a Restoring Community War Memorials and Avenues of Honour Grant Program.
The war memorial, an important ceremonial site for veterans’ events and a landmark for war historians and veterans’ families, is in Stawell’s Main Street.
Restoration funding involved two separate grants.
These were $26,370 to clean Stawell’s First World War memorial and regild lettering and replace the cracked surrounds with heritage-style paving, and $10,000 to restore lettering and install floodlights and an interpretive panel at the Second World War, Korean and Vietnam war memorial.
Northern Grampians mayor Tony Driscoll, council chief executive Liana Thompson and staff members involved in the project welcomed Mr Leane.
Stawell RSL past president Geoff Reading, RSL member Russell Smith and Cr
Driscoll spoke during the official part of the visit.
“The memorials have tremendous importance to our community as a place of remembrance,” Cr Driscoll said.
“It is wonderful to see them beautifully restored now to fittingly continue our acknowledgement of the legacy of our war veterans and the sacrifices of our fallen.”
Mr Leane said the Stawell war memorial was of great importance to the local community.
“I’m proud the restoration will allow for the site to be a place of reflection for many years to come,” he said.