Historical information
The Shrine was opened on Sunday 7 April 1918. Mrs C H D Steele, President of the local Patriotic League, is credited with the idea of building The Shrine as a fitting memorial to the WW1 soldiers of the district. The Surrey Hills Progress Association coordinated raising funds from local residents. John Kendrick Blogg carved the beautiful honor roll in Indian teak and Australian white mahogany and the design of the Shrine was by John Stevens Gawler, architect of Gawler & Drummond. Both men donated their services. It was one of the first WW1 memorials to be built and is noted for its use of Australian motifs, wattle blossom and gum leaves. The boomerang over the full width of the monument was said to be symbolic of both those who did and did not return. Surrey Hills Progress Association coordinated fundraising to build the memorial.
The photo comes from a souvenir brochure printed for the dedication of The Shrine on 7 April 1918.
There is a bound copy of a history of The Shrine by Robin Doble in the collection.
Physical description
Black & white photo of the artist's impression of The Shrine in the Surrey Gardens. The photo is part of a souvenir booklet, a copy of which is also held in the collection.
