The Toongabbie Centenary of Armistice Committee is on the hunt for descendants of servicemen and women listed on the town’s honour boards to celebrate the Centenary of Armistice in style.
The group successfully applied for a federal government grant to fund the refurbishment of the two honour boards, one from World War I and one from World War II, which are now on display at the recreation reserve town hall.
Toongabbie Centenary of Armistice committee member Graham Berrett said the World War I honour board originally hung in the old Toongabbie School attended by those whose names appear on the plaque and was moved to the Mechanics’ Institute when the school building was demolished.
“We want to restore and relocate [the honour boards] to the Mechanics’ Institute,” he said.
“The Mechanics’ Institute was a place they would have known, a place they would have gone for social occasions.”
Mr Berrett said the committee would hold a Centenary of Armistice event in October where the newly refurbished and relocated honour boards would be unveiled.
“It will be like an Anzac Day ceremony and a celebration of the relocation of the plaques,” he said.
“We are trying to locate the descendants. As you can imagine, they would have different names to start.
“If anyone recognises the names or knows anyone, we would love to hear from them … we would like to send invites out.”
Mr Berrett said he hoped the honour boards at the Mechanics’ Institute could become like a war memorial for Toongabbie.
“We haven’t got a war memorial,” he said.
“We see in the future those sort of things [like Anzac Day services] can be celebrated here in Toongabbie.”
For more information or to get in contact with the committee, phone 5192 4567.
