Anzac Day celebrated in the Inner West of Brisbane
Saturday, 25th April, communities across Brisbane pause to remember the men and women who served. In our corner of the Inner West, that act of remembrance carries a particularly deep root.
Standing on Enoggera Terrace in Paddington, the Ithaca War Memorial is one of the most significant heritage landmarks in our neighbourhood. Designed and built between 1921 and 1925 by Brisbane masonry firm Arthur Henry Thurlow, the sandstone clock tower sits within Alexander Jolly Park and has been a gathering point on Anzac Day for over a century. It honours the 130 local men who died on active service during the First World War, their names inscribed on recessed leaded marble plates, and holds the distinction of being the only clock tower memorial of its type in Brisbane.
What makes it so enduring is that it was built entirely by the people who lived here. Fundraising began in September 1920, with the community raising the full cost of around £650. It was unveiled by the Governor of Queensland, Sir Matthew Nathan, on 25 February 1922. Long before Paddington was the suburb we know today, this was Ithaca, a proud and self-contained community that refused to let its losses go unmarked.
Services near you this Saturday:
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Paddington at the Ithaca War Memorial, Enoggera Terrace: march from Ithaca Presbyterian Church at 8:15am, service at 8:30am. All are welcome.
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Ashgrove at Ashgrove Memorial Park, Stewart Place: Dawn Service at 4:28am, with a march at 7:15am and the Ashgrove Bardon RSL Sub Branch service at 7:45am at Memorial Avenue.
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Toowong at Toowong Memorial Park, 65 Sylvan Road: Dawn Service at 5:45am.
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Bardon at Bardon Bowls Club, 69 Bowman Parade: service at 10:40am.
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Brisbane City at the Shrine of Remembrance, Anzac Square: Dawn Service at 4:28am, with arrival recommended by 3:30am.
However you choose to mark the day, we wish you a meaningful Anzac Day. There is something quietly powerful about living in a suburb where the names on the memorial are not strangers, but neighbours from another time.
Lest we forget.