Gilgai Crown Land Manager Board’s Rick Ellis, left, Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall and Karl Silveira inspect the Gilgai War Memorial and the restoration work which will take place on the prominent structure.
Wednesday, 16 December 2020
THE Gilgai War Memorial will undergo significant restoration works next year, after Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall today confirmed the monument would receive $10,000 from the State Government’s Community War Memorials Fund.
Mr Marshall said the fund supported projects which sought to protect, conserve and repair war memorials.
“The Gilgai War Memorial takes pride of place in the centre of the village and bares the names of local fallen soldiers from the First and Second World Wars and plaques for the National Service, Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Boer Wars,” Mr Marshall said.
“In preparation for the 100th anniversary of the installation of the memorial, in 2023, the Gilgai Crown Land Board have put forward a comprehensive plan to completely restore the monument to its former glory.
“Utilising the expertise of International Conservation Services, vegetation will be removed from the joints and lichen washed away from the polished granite surface.
“Gilding and plaques on the memorial will be hand cleaned and the concrete surrounds will be repainted and a metal hook will be treated for corrosion.
“I’m really pleased and proud this memorial will be restored to look as good as the day it was first unveiled, almost 100 years ago.”
Mr Marshall said applications were now open for the latest round of the Community War Memorials Fund.
“Conservation projects at existing war memorials throughout the region are considered for a grant of up to $10,000 as part of the latest round,” he said.
“With many of these sites close to a century old their restoration and maintenance is often not cheap for the volunteer memorial trusts, veteran groups and local councils that look after them.
“Groups interested in applying are advised to seek conservation advice before planning physical memorial work, unless the application is to engage a qualified specialist.”
Works funded through this program include conservation assessments, honour roll repair, war memorial cleaning and conservation work, arborist advice for war memorial trees, security measures for memorials, repairs to war memorial halls and improvements to the accessibility of memorials.
Applications are now open and close at 5pm on 11 February 2021.
For more information and to apply, visit www.veterans.nsw.gov.au/