By Alesha Capone
A new memorial will be built in Werribee to honour soldiers from the area who died during World War I.
Werribee MP Tim Pallas and representatives from VicRoads on Friday presented the Werribee RSL with a cheque for $184,410 to fund construction of the memorial.
The announcement was attended by VicRoads manager of network improvements, policy and programs Sohail Muhammad, the engineer in charge of the project, David Ibod, and Wyndham councillor Henry Barlow.
RSL branch vice-president David McDiarmid welcomed the funding. He said the new memorial should be built by Anzac Day next year.
“I’m looking forward to seeing it getting done,” Mr McDiarmid said.
He said VicRoads had already planted 110 new trees along the Princes Highway to replace those that had been removed from an Avenue of Honour.
Mr Pallas said the new memorial would be built at the corner of Princes Highway and Cherry Street, the start of the Avenue of Honour, which was established in 1918.
He said the memorial would include the names of 60 fallen soldiers from the Werribee area, with each of the names etched on to individual bluestone blocks that will form two rounded walls to represent the shape of a poppy.
The centre of the monument will contain a granite structure featuring an etched Australian Rising Sun badge and a carved Sword of Sacrifice.
A gravel path leading to the memorial will be lined with plants of Gallipoli rosemary and Anzac roses.
A plaque will be laid to mark the Governor’s Tree, a sugar gum planted in 1928 at the corner of Princes Highway and Sneydes Road.
The plaque will celebrate William Calder, a former Country Roads Board chairman who is credited with the development of Victoria’s arterial road network.
