On October 6, 1917, the Eumundi Women’s Recruiting Committee planted six Queensland figs along Main Street (now Memorial Drive) and Gridley Street. With relatives of the fallen, they would add yet another 14 trees over the next two years. In total, 20 trees were planted, each representing a local, whose life was lost in WW1.
Each tree was originally protected by a 1.8m x 1.8m white paling fence, bearing a bronze tablet inscribed with the name, unit, place and date of death, for each soldier.
Of the 20 original Eumundi memorial figs planted to commemorate WW1 servicemen, only five survive. The rest have been replaced over the years with Camphor Laurels (Cinnamomum camphora), Magenta Lilly Pillis (Syzygium paniculatum), Illawarra Flame Trees (Brachychiton acerifolius) and a Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia). Original memorial plaques have also been replaced.
All current plaques are replacements.
Courtesy of the Eumundi Museum, click here to read a summary of the memorial tree planting events.
Honour Roll
Name | Memorial Tree | Plaque |
425 Private Herbert William Cooke 15th Infantry Battalion Born in Maryborough, QLD 1893 Parents: Father George Cooke Occupation prior to enlistment: Labourer Enlisted Killed In Action, Gallipoli, Dardanelles, Turkey, 30 April 1915 Aged 22 Eumundi Museum Trees of Tribute | ||
686 Private Ferdinand William Clifton 9th Infantry Battalion Born: Farnborough, Hampshire, England 1874 Parents Occupation prior to enlistment: Farmer Enlisted Died of Illness – sunstroke, whist at sea aboard the HS Canada, 26 August 1915 Aged 41 Eumundi Museum Trees of Tribute | ||
3113 Private Jabez Abraham 47th Infantry Battalion Born in Hemmant, QLD 26 March 1893 Occupation prior to enlistment: Farmer Enlisted 19 August 1915, Brisbane, QLD Died of wounds, France, 21 August 1916 Aged 23 years | ||
4784 Private Wilfred George Wells 25th Infantry Battalion Born in Berry, NSW, 19 November 1897 Parents Occupation prior to enlistment: Saddler and Harness Maker Enlisted 29 November, Lismore, NSW 29 November 1915 Killed in Action, France, 14 November 1916 (four days before his 19th birthday) Aged 18 years Eumundi Museum Trees of Tribute | ||
5192 Private Charles Sylvester Stokes 47th Infantry Battalion Born: Died of Illness, France, 1 March 1917 Eumundi Museum Trees of Tribute | ||
6237 Private Henry Clyne Christian 15th Infantry Battalion Born in Dublin, Ireland, 28 June 1888 Parents: Enlisted 26 January 1916 Home Town Eumundi, Sunshine Coast, Queensland Occupation prior to enlistment: Farmer Killed In Action, France, Bullecourt I, 11 April 1917 Aged 28 years | ||
6703 Private Edward Hugh Allen 9th Infantry Battalion Born in Woodford, QLD (circa 1889) Mother: Alice Allen Enlisted 1st June 1916, Brisbane Occupation prior to enlistment: Labourer Killed in action, Belgium, 20 September 1917 | ||
3427 / 3426 Corporal Francis George Morgan 49th Infantry Battalion Born in Hampshire, England Father: G Morgan Enlisted 3rd August 1916, Brisbane Died of gunshot wounds, Belgium 19th October 1917 Eumundi Museum Trees of Tribute | ||
2382 Private William Henry Armfield 49th Infantry Battalion Born 1895, Mittagong, NSW Mother: Eliza Armfield Enlisted 28 March 1916, Brisbane Occupation prior to enlistment: Farmer Killed In Action, 5 April 1918, France. | ||
5318 Private Frank Eric Colthup 26th Infantry Battalion Father: Mr A E Colthup Enlisted 21 January 1916, Brisbane Killed in action, 29 April 1918, France Eumundi Museum Trees of Tribute | ||
2684 Private Thomas ‘Thos’ Downey 49th Infantry Battalion Born 6 July 1881, Goulburn, NSW Mother: Harriett Downey Enlisted 7 June 1915, Nambour, QLD Occupation prior to enlistment: Farmer Killed in Action, 7 June 1917, Belgium Aged 35 years | ||
7089 Private Archibald Maltman McKintyre 25th Infantry Battalion Born in Liverpool, England, 19 September 1887 Enlisted: 3 September 1917, Brisbane Occupation prior to enlistment: Fitter & Turner Killed In Action, 4 July 1918, France Aged 30 years Eumundi Museum Trees of Tribute | ||
1937 Gunner Walter Joseph Edward Gridley 6th Field Artillery Brigade Born in Eumundi Mother: Betsy Ann Gridley Enlisted 23 August 1915, Brisbane, QLD Occupation prior to enlistment: Sawyer Died of wounds, France, 28 July 1918 | ||
2761 Sapper Norman Charles Smith 1st Australian Tunnelling Corps Born in Gympie, QLD Mother: Elizabeth Smith Enlisted 24 January 1918 Occupation prior to enlistment: Hairdresser Killed in Action, Rouen, France (body retrieved from River Seine), 30 July 1918 Eumundi Museum Trees of Tribute | ||
6919 Private William Joseph Carroll 25th Infantry Battalion Born in Brisbane Brother: George Carroll Enlisted 14 April 1917, Brisbane Occupation prior to enlistment: Hairdresser Killed in Action, 2 September 1918, France | ||
6967 Private Vincent Donnelly 15th Infantry Battalion Mother: Elizabeth Donnelly Enlisted 27 October 1916 Occupation prior to enlistment: Carpenter Killed in action, 18 September 1918, France | ||
7009 Private Cyril Frank Abraham 49th Infantry Battalion Born 16 August 1890, Toowoomba, QLD Mother: Elizabeth Cooke Enlisted 19th October 1917, Brisbane Occupation prior to enlistment Miner/Surveyor’s Assistant Died of Illness (bronchial pneumonia), 20 October 1918, Remy, France Aged 28 years | ||
3427 Private Thomas James Rubenach 4th Machine Gun Battalion Born 1892, Wollongong, NSW Father: James Rubenach Enlisted 31 July 1915, Brisbane Occupation prior to enlistment: Farrier Died of Illness (pulmonary tuberculosis), 11th June, 1919, aboard the “Karoola”, Indian Ocean Eumundi Museum Trees of Tribute | ||
6571 Lance Corporal Aubrey Beverley Stuart-Russell 15th Infantry Battalion Born 31 October 1892, Camooweal, QLD Enlisted Occupation prior to enlistment: Farmer Died of wounds received in action, 4 July 1918, 47th Casualty Clearing Station, Hamel Wood, France Aged 25 years Eumundi Museum Trees of Tribute | ||
CLICK HERE to read an Avenues of Honour article from 2020, about Private Cyril Frank Abraham.