This 1954 Roll of Honour board was an action of the WW2 Eltham War memorial Trust, for hanging in their Child Welfare Centre building on their property in Main Road, Eltham. The Johnstons Furniture Production Company made up the board and had the names of the local Eltham enlistees applied in gold lettering at a total cost of £13.10.00. The names were copied by the Eltham RSL from the obelisk which was first erected by the WW1 Eltham Peace Celebrations in August 1919 at the northwest corner of Bridge Street and Main Road. During road widening plans by the Council, the obelisk was moved to the garden area of the refurbished RSL branch building in Main Road for safekeeping. The Honour Roll Board was sent to the Eltham RSL sub-branch around 1999. Following the merger of the Eltham and Montmorency sub-branches and sale of the Eltham property, the obelisk was relocated to a location in front of the Eltham War Memorial. The Honour Roll Board was retrieved by former Eltham District Historical Society President, Harry Gilham in September 2004 who arranged for it to be hung in the Eltham War Memorial Hall (former Children's Library). It is attached to the brick wall face of the west (rear) wall of the Hall.Colour photo print and 18 photocopied and hand written mixed media pages1953, briar hill timber, cr. e.j. andrew, eltham rsl sub-branch, eltham war memorial, eltham war memorial hall, eltham war memorial trust, ernie andrew, harry gilham collection, honour roll, johnstons furniture production company, johnstons furniture productions, meeting minutes, minute book, montmorency-eltham rsl sub-branch, nillumbik shire council, roll of honour, stanley s addison collection, stanley simpson addison

In May 1953, Mr A.E. Parsons moved (seconded by Mrs A.E. Kerr) that the need for an Honour Roll be included on the agenda of the Eltham War Memorial Trust (EWMT) meeting to be held in June 1953. At that meeting, Mrs L. Jarrold moved (seconded by Mrs A.E. Kerr) that the Secretary of the Trust (Mr C.G. Seear) write to the RSL and obtain eligible names from both wars to be placed on an Honour Roll Board to be erected in the building. The RSL was duly requested to supply those names in July 1953. In August 1953, the Secretary of the EWMT made enquiries with Briar Hill Timber regarding a suitable timber to be used for the board, which was to be to be polished and have the 37 names in gold lettering, one half inch in size. At the September meeting of the Trust, the Secretary reported on the design and price from Briar Hill Timber being £3.15.0. A sketch was not available, and Briar Hill Timber was asked to supply one, which was duly presented at the October meeting. The Briar Hill Timber design was not as requested by the Trust. The Secretary subsequently requested from other potential suppliers and several proposals with quotes were received and discussed at the Trust’s November meeting. A decision was made to proceed with Design No. 936 which was to be quoted in mountain ash. A quote from Johnstons Furniture Productions of Gertrude St., Fitzroy for £13.10.0 was received in December. The design and quote being accepted by the Trust, an order was placed for its commission. The Honour Roll Board was presented at the March 1954 Trust meeting and the proposed lettering was discussed. The Secretary was requested to follow-up confirmation of the names from the RSL and to have them printed in gold lettering on the board. The account from Johnstons Furniture Productions for the board was submitted and paid in full by the Trust. By the April meeting the names to be painted had still not been furnished by the RSL. A further follow-up request was made, and the names duly provided by Cr Stanley S. Addison at the Trust’s meeting in May. The names were copied from the Memorial Obelisk which was first erected by the WW1 Eltham Peace Celebrations in August 1919 at the northwest corner of Bridge Street and Main Road. (The obelisk was later moved in 1956 to the garden area of the refurbished RSL branch building in Main Road for safekeeping due to road widening works.) These names and the Honour Roll Board were handed over to A.E. Emmett, signwriter who completed the work for the gold lettering and submitted an account for such to the Trust for £12.0.0 in July 1954. At the Trust’s August 1954 meeting, the Secretary advised that the Honour Roll Board had been completed and was situated at the Baby Health Centre where arrangements had been made to place it in a prominent position. Handover of the Eltham War Memorial Trust’s assets (including the Eltham Roll of Honour Board) to Eltham Council was conducted in August 1965. In 1999 the Honour Roll Board was removed from the Eltham War Memorial by members of the RSL and relocated to the Eltham RSL sub-branch on Main Road. Following financial collapse of the Eltham RSL sub-branch and merger of the Eltham and Montmorency sub-branches and subsequent sale of the Eltham property, the WW1 obelisk was relocated to a location in front of the Eltham War Memorial. The Honour Roll Board was retrieved by former Eltham District Historical Society President, Harry Gilham in September 2004 who arranged for it to be re-hung in the Eltham War Memorial Hall (former Children’s Library) where it was attached to the brick wall face of the west (rear) wall of the Hall. Sometime around late 2018 when Council was investigating the potential sale and development of the Eltham War Memorial site, the Eltham Honour Roll Board was once again removed from the Eltham War Memorial by persons unknown, under the pretext of ‘safekeeping,’ to a location outside of the Shire of Nillumbik and placed in storage at the Montmorency-Eltham RSL sub-branch, in the City of Banyule. Eltham District Historical Society was made aware of the removal of the Honour Roll Board to the Montmorency-Eltham RSL sub-branch. A formal request was made by EDHS to the Montmorency-Eltham RSL to return this community asset to its rightful place as intended when it was commissioned and paid for by the Eltham War Memorial Trust. Nillumbik Shire Council was also made aware of the removal of this community asset and formally requested its return prior to Anzac Day, 2021. This did not happen however following ongoing negotiations led by Nillumbik Shire Council, the Honour Roll Board was returned in time for Anzac Day 2023 where it is now proudly displayed in the Community Gallery near the internal entrance to Eltham Library providing the community with greater access to it.jim connor collection, briar hill timber & trading co. pty ltd, eltham children's library, eltham community gallery, eltham district historical society, eltham library, eltham rsl sub-branch, eltham war memorial, eltham war memorial hall, eltham war memorial trust, honour board, honour roll