Legerwood Memorial Park

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Legerwood, Tasmania, Australia
Surname/tag: Edwards, Hyde, Jenkin, McDougall, Peddle, Risely, Andrews, World_War_1

This page has been set up to group together the profiles of seven soldiers who were killed in the First World War. Each of these soldiers lived in or near Legerwood, Tasmania and there is a plaque for each of them in the Legerwood Memorial Park.

The following is copied from a sign at the park:

In 1918, nine trees were planted in Legerwood's main street to honour the seven soldiers killed in Wold War 1 and a tree each for Gallipoli and the Anzac's. When these trees were declared dangerous in 2001, the town's folk were distraught to think that the Memorial Avenue would be destroyed.

The Legerwood Hall and Reserves Committee decided to hire Eddie Freeman to chainsaw carve each stump into a likeness of the men for whom each tree was planted. A frenzy of fundraising, grants and generous donations helped reach the target $27,000.

By ANZAC Day 2006 the carvings were complete and a ceremony was held to unveil the plaques involving local servicemen and women. Now people from all over the world visit our statues and remember the soldiers who fought and died for our freedom.

In 2003 we began to try and gain access to the abandoned railway site which was an eyesore in our main street. We planned to clear it and clean it up to create a park in which families who had lost a child or young relative could plant a tree in their memory.

It took 3 years of battling red tape to to be granted permission to start our clean up. All machinery hire and work has been donated and we are very proud of the way our community has pulled together to make our projects successful. On July 22nd 2007, 25 families came forward to participate in a planting ceremony to honour their loved ones. Since then more planting days have resulted in the trees and camellias you see today. Families have also donated seats and tables in remembrance.

The community continues to maintain and fundraise to improve this area and we sincerely thank everyone for their support.

The soldiers commemorated in Legerwood Memorial Park are:

• Private Thomas Edward Edwards, 40th Battalion #3038;
• Private William Henry Hyde, 52nd Battalion #3566;
• Private Robert James Jenkin, 12th Battalion #3571;
• Private John Henry Gregg McDougall, 40th Battalion #3075;
• Private George Peddle, 40th Battalion #2628;
• Lance Corporal John Charles Ernest Risely, 47th Australian Infantry # 4019; and
• Private Alan Robert Andrews, 12th Battalion #4280.