More information can be seen at the "Register of War Memorials" - West Wallsend Soldiers Memorial: (
visit link)
Entry to the World War Memorial obelisk is up three concrete steps, between shaped sandstone blocks, with on the left-hand side on a white marble plaque, "WEST WALLSEND AND DISTRICT", and on the right-hand curved shaped sandstone block, "SOLDIER'S MEMORIAL". On the outer side of the sandstone blocks are brick pillars for holding steel pipes as fencing around the Soldiers Memorial Park. A squatting lion is on each of the brick posts. The small 'courtyard' immediately around the obelisk is tiled.
The Hawkesbury sandstone obelisk is set diagonally to the layout of the Soldiers Memorial Park, on the SE corner of the Soldiers Memorial Park on the corner of Carrington and Hyndes Streets. Two square concrete steps hold the sandstone base on which the obelisk sits.
There are white marble plaques on each of the four faces. On the very top is the statue of a "Digger" (soldier) holding a the barrel of a rifle by his side. A couple of sandstone 'steps are cut into the top of the obelisk, and below his feet is another white marble plaque with the calligraphied text, "Lest we Forget", with a sandstone "Rising Sun" army crest just above that.
Below that is the slightly tapered large white marble plaque, with the 'title', "These Gave Their All", with its' two columns of names, totaling 59 soldiers. [Their ranks are given]
And below that is a smaller rectangular white marble plaque, which reads:
"Erected by the citizens of
West Wallsend and District
in honour of the men who fought
in the Great War 1914 - 1919"
On other sides of the obelisk column the Headings of the columns of servicemen are a little bit different, with the next long white marble slab having:
"These Offered Their All"
And then names listed by year: "1914", x 16, then x 5 for "Navy", and "War Workers" x 5 (including a Mrs J. Campbell); for 1915 there was x 50 names over two columns. Below is a rectangular white marble slab, with: [Laurel leaves] "Lest We Forget, 1914 - 1918, These Gave Their All" [Even though at the top of the tapered slab above it the title is "Offered", and not "Gave"]
Another tapered while marble plaque is just for 1916 - "These Offered Their All", with x 80 names listed in two columns. Below, the rectangular plaque says: "In honour of brave men who fought for their country."
The fourth of the long tapered white marble slabs, reads: "These Offered Their All; 1916 - 1917 - 1918" with a further x 80 names listed in two columns. (Unfortunately this photo is rather out of focus as the light was dim, and the camera wanted to take the photo over a second). The rectangular white marble slab at the bottom reads: "This Monument Honours Soldiers who Fought to save The Empire."
The War Memorial Register website acknowledges the Newcastle Morning Herald of 30 January, 1922 for the date of 28th January, 1922 for the unveiling of this obelisk monument.
[Separately there are other monuments for more recent conflicts, on low walls north, and west of this older monument.]
Visited/Photographed: 1835, Friday, 16 October, 2015 - after maintaining a nearby Challenge Geocache for a friend.