Toogoolawah War Memorial restoration and garden edgeing by J.H. Wagner & Sons.
The Toogoolawah War Memorial was constructed and installed by Frank Williams of F. Williams & Co of Ipswich. The memorial consists of sandstone bases, sandstone columns, marble honour rolls, sandstone pediment caps and a sandstone spire. F. Williams & Co manufactured a number of Queensland War Memorials including Colinton, Boonah, Booval, Bundamba, Esk, Gatton, Ipswich - One Mile / Leichhardt and Western Suburbs, Ipswich Cemetery, Maroon State School, Mount Alford, Nundah, Oxley and Warwick.
Historical information on the installation of this memorial mentions that the Toogoolawah War Memorial was the first to be constructed in Queensland outside of a Cemetery, however an article of 10th February 1917 in the Brisbane Courier would indicate that the Colinton War Memorial may actually have been the first Queensland war memorial located outside a Cemetery.
F. Williams & Co was purchased by Neill Wagner (JHW second generation) in the 1960's and is now a subsiduary company of J.H. Wagner & Sons. The restoration of the Toogoolawah War Memorial and the supply and installation of sandstone garden edging to surround the memorial was a wonderful opportunity for J.H. Wagner & Sons to retain a link to the historical works of the F. Williams company.
Helidon sandstone has been used for the Toogoolawah and Colinton memorials and may well have been sourced from Wright's Helidon Quarry as F. Williams & Co were known to be a client of the Helidon quarry at this time.
The Toogoolawah and Colinton areas retain a rich history and provide many interesting places to visit. A great source of information for this region is available from Brisbane Valley Heritage Trails. www.brisbanevalleyheritage.info
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