Tag: WWI

Manly War Memorial: The Full Story of the Vandalised Statue

Photo Credit: Anzac Square

Before it was a cherished park, the site of the Manly War Memorial was a simple water reserve known as the Manly Dam, chosen to become a place of honour for 16 local men.

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A Solemn Beginning

Manly War Memorial
Photo Credit: QueenslandGovernment

The community first gathered for the memorial’s dedication on 5 March 1921. It was established to remember 16 local men who did not return from the First World War. The original structure was impressive, featuring a life-sized soldier crafted from white Carrara marble. This statue stood on a pedestal of Helidon brown freestone and a base of Enoggera granite, representing the qualities of the ideal Australian: courage, loyalty, and youth.

A Symbol Targeted

Over the years, the memorial sadly became a target for vandalism. This destructive behaviour reached a low point in 1992 when the marble soldier was torn from its pedestal and its head was broken off. For many years after this incident, the pedestal stood empty, a stark reminder of the statue’s absence and a source of distress for the local community.

The Digger’s Return

Manly War Memorial
Photo Credit: Google Map

The community did not give up on its memorial. In 2007, a concrete replica of the original soldier was installed, finally filling the space. The figure stands in the traditional position of remembrance, with its head bowed and arms reversed. In a surprising twist, the damaged original marble statue, which many thought was lost forever, was found in 2013. It had been stored in a Brisbane City Council depot in Lota.

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From Water Reserve to Honoured Park

The ground on which the memorial stands has its own deep history. Before it was a place of remembrance, the land was a water reserve known as the Manly Dam. In 1919, the local mayor, Richard Russell, selected the site for the memorial park. In recognition of his foresight, the park was officially named Richard Russell Park in 1990.

The site’s importance to the state was formally recognised when it was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992. Today, the memorial honours not only the original 16 men but also the 21 locals who died in the Second World War, along with those who served in the Korean and Vietnam wars.

Published Date 10-November-2025

War Stories Unearthed in Shoebox Inspire Brisbane Author

At Manly RSL this May, a Brisbane writer will share the hidden story of his grandfather’s role in a forgotten WWI scene — one that hung on his wall all his life.

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Manly Book Launch to Share Lost Family War Stories Unearthed in a Shoebox

A family war story buried for decades is set to be shared at the Manly-Lota RSL, where Brisbane writer Paul Dobbyn will launch a book that traces his grandfather’s forgotten role in one of World War I’s most haunting moments.

Photo Credit: Supplied

The event will take place on Friday, 9 May, at the Manly-Lota RSL Sub Branch Hall. The date is meaningful to Dobbyn’s family. It marks the anniversary of both his grandfather’s survival at the Battle of Aubers Ridge in 1915 and his uncle’s death during a 1944 Royal Air Force mission in France.

A Personal Discovery Leads to Public Sharing

Wynnum journalist and poet Paul Dobbyn found the heart of War Spoils in a leather-bound journal left by his grandfather, Captain Henry Dobbyn, a World War I veteran of the Indian Royal Munster Fusiliers. Discovered after his father’s death in 1991, the journal detailed frontline injuries, including wounds at the Somme, and the hardship of raising five children alone in Toowoomba.

Photo Credit: www.dobbynpoetry.com

A childhood memory of a painting gained new meaning when Dobbyn realised his grandfather was among the soldiers shown receiving a battlefield blessing in The Last General Absolution of the Munsters at Rue du Bois. Though the image hung in family homes, the connection had never been spoken of. It is a quiet discovery that became the book’s emotional centre.

Wartime Sacrifices Across Generations

The book follows Henry Dobbyn’s sons, Denis, who served in Papua New Guinea, and Robert, a Pathfinder pilot killed in 1944, with their stories rebuilt from family records and a blog that retraced Robert’s final flight.

War Spoils blends family history with poetry, drawing on Dobbyn’s public readings from the 1990s, enriched by archival images and wartime music.

Local Reflections for Anzac Day

With a foreword by RSL President Major General Greg Melick and praise from historian Dr Greg Poulgrain, the book is recognised as a moving tribute across three generations.

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For Dobbyn, sharing these stories in Manly and Wynnum is about honouring those who served and highlighting the personal side of Australia’s wartime history.

Published 16-April-2025