The Jeparit community gathered on Broadway on this day in 1920 to witness the unveiling of the district’s memorial to those who enlisted and fell during the Great War.

The monument consists of a white marble statue standing on top of a four-sided granite obelisk upon which the names of one hundred and twenty locals who enlisted to serve in World War One, noting the twenty-three who fell during the conflict.

One aspect of this memorial that sets it aside from most others being built across the country following the end of the War is that the statue is of a female, while most similar monuments featured a soldier.

The figure has her head bowed and she is holding a palm frond which hangs down towards her feet.

The symbolism of this image is powerful, with the palm representing victory, having been waved by the crowds witnessing Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem before Easter, while her stance reflects the grief felt by the community of the loss of those who did not return.
seen here wilting under the burden of her grief.

Possibly the only other representation of a female on a World War One memorial in Victoria is at Ultima in the Mallee.

Unfortunately, thirty years later, after many district residents served in World War Two, another memorial was added to this precinct. This was dedicated on 11 November 1951 by former local resident and then Prime Minister Robert Menzies, and it lists six who served but did not return.

Reference has since also been added to the Korean and Vietnam Wars, including the name of one Jeparit resident who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Korean conflict.

In 1967 a descendent of the original Lone Pine was also planted in the reserve.

Jeparit’s other memorial to the fallen is its town hall, which is also unique in that it was built to serve both civic and public purposes, as the municipal offices of the Shire of Dimboola and the community’s public hall.

The entrance foyer in this building contains two large Honour Rolls, listing several hundred local servicemen from the Boer War, World Wars One, and Two.