Bulimba Memorial Park Avenue of Honour and Bulimba Soldiers and Sailors Park Dedication Plaque

The Bulimba community, as with many other Australian communities in the period during and after the First World War, wished to honour in a tangible way, those who had served in the Australian forces during the war.  The two significant memorials in the suburb are the Bulimba Memorial Park Avenue of Honour and the Bulimba Soldiers and Sailors Park, represented in particular by the dedication plaque.

The memorial avenue, shown in the above image taken from the Queensland War Memorial Register, consists of weeping figs, small leafed figs, cocos palms and other trees planted on the perimeter of parkland, being planted as a living tribute to those from the Balmoral Shire who had served during the First World War.  The park, along with its memorial avenue of honour, was officially opened on 1 November 1919 by the Honourable W.H. Barnes MLA.  The memorial avenue was re-dedicated in 2008 by Mr. Ian McKenzie, the councillor for the Brisbane City Council ward of Holland Park.  Each of the original trees planted is believed to have had a commemorative plaque honouring a serviceman killed in action, but only one of these plaques survives in its original place.  Five other plaques are preserved at the Colmslie RSL Club.  All the other commemorative plaques have been lost, misplaced or taken at some time in the past, with their present whereabouts unknown.

The actual Bulimba Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Park was also officially opened on the same date as the Avenue of Honour, with the dedication plaque recording, “opened on the First day of November 1919 by the Honourable W.H. Barnes MLA and dedicated to the soldiers, sailors and nurses who enlisted from Bulimba for service in the Great War, 1914-1919.  The origin of the park was due to the generosity of the late Robert Jamieson who in 1914 made a gift to the people of 4 acres of land forming the nucleus of the park”.

This image, also taken from the Queensland War Memorial Register, shows the plaque as it appears today.

Brian Randall, Queensland Places Coordinator, State Library of Queensland.