A Century of Remembrance
The Burnside District Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial in Rose Park is an important cultural landmark within the City of Burnside.
This World War I memorial is significant to the community and is a high-quality example of a living war memorial.
The memorial’s history began on Peace Day, 19 July 1919, when a crowd gathered at Alexandra Avenue to acknowledge the fallen soldiers of the Great War. As part of the ceremony, relatives were invited to plant a tree along the Avenue and Prescott Terrace in honour of their lost loved ones. The trees chosen to stand along this site are particularly poignant – a living, evergreen memorial that must be maintained by those who come after.
In 1920 the next step in the memorial’s evolution began as the Burnside Memorial Committee raised funds for a monument to be added to the Memorial as a further tribute to the fallen of the District of Burnside. Australian sculptor Charles Web Gilbert (1867–1925) was commissioned to design the bronze statue. On 14 December 1924, the Governor of South Australia, Lieutenant General Sir Tom Bridges KCB KCMG DSO, unveiled the statue depicting a soldier climbing over the top of a trench and turning back to offer a helping hand to his mate. The Ferdinand Barbedienne Foundry in France cast the figure, which is mounted on a granite plinth with bronze plaques bearing the names of 87 fallen soldiers of the Burnside District.
A project to update the memorial was initiated in 2020 by Ian Fitzgerald, Retired Colonel Peter Scott and the late Ian Sando, who approached the City of Burnside for support. Together, they formed the Burnside Military History Group and dedicated many hours to researching the names of the 87 soldiers commemorated in 1919. Their research uncovered inaccuracies and inconsistencies on the plaques throughout the Memorial, including a proposal that some fallen soldiers from the Burnside District had not yet been recognised.
On 4 August 2022, additional trees were allocated to fallen soldiers on Alexandra Avenue, west of Victoria Terrace. Through intensive research, these soldiers were identified for their strong association with the District of Burnside and were added to the memorial to recognise their sacrifice alongside their mates.
In recognition of this work the Burnside Military History Group was named the 2024 Active Citizens of the Year at the City of Burnside Australia Day Awards.
In 2024, the individual soldiers’ tree plaques were replaced with corrected and additional information. The rock plaques across the memorial were also updated, and an interpretation plaque was installed at the Field Gun on Prescott Terrace. The final phase of the project included the installation of interpretive signage behind the inspiring statue with a map to help visitors locate specific soldiers’ memorial trees. With assistance from the City of Burnside the group secured two grants to support the project - one from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and another from the History Trust of South Australia.
During the ceremony on 14 December 2024 commemorating the statue’s 100 years, Mayor Anne Monceaux, and Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC, Governor of South Australia, unveiled a plaque to be added to the new interpretive signage.
Mayor Monceaux expressed the great honour of this occasion and emphasised the importance of preserving the memory of the fallen through both Council and community efforts.
‘I wish to thank Ian Fitzgerald, Peter Scott and the late Ian Sando for their foresight and diligence as they were committed to getting the history right and honouring the fallen from World War I. As a living memorial, these Avenues of Honour require continual care by the City of Burnside and the community to ensure their Legacy is not forgotten,’ Mayor Monceaux said.
Left to right: Ian Fitzgerald, Her Excellency Honourable Frances Adamson AC, Retired Colonel Peter Scott, Mayor Anne Monceaux and Graeme Gatley 
