Howard and Burrum War Memorial (Digger)

William and Steley Streets
Howard QLD 4659

The memorial comprises of a life-sized Italian marble statue of a soldier on a sandstone pedestal with stepped base. The statue stands head erect with one foot forward. The uniform and accoutrements are those of an Italian-Alpino soldier, complete with Italian badge on the right sleeve and Italian facial features. The demarcation of rank (Sergeant) is unique among soldier statues in Queensland and the equipage of backpack rare (occurring elsewhere only on Bundaberg's war memorial). The monument is surrounded by a neat iron railing fence.

Inscription

Recessed marble plates on the pedestal bear the leaded names of the 37 local soldiers who died in WWI.

Plates have been added later to the base to record those who fell in later wars: 2 in WWII and one in the Korean War.

Conflicts commemorated

• First World War, 1914–1918
• Second World War, 1939–1945
• Korean War, 1950–1953

Memorial type

Statue

Commemorative services held

ANZAC Day Dawn Service
Time: 4.25am

ANZAC March
Time: 7.20am
Location: Form Up at the CWA HALL, Howard.

After the DAWN SERVICE there will be a service at the Howard Cemetery for Fallen Diggers.

Contact at Burrum District RSL Sub-Branch: Jim Jones, Secretary
Ph: 07 41294065

Additional information

This memorial has outstanding significance because of its inappropriate, or alien, statue representing an Italian rather than an Australian soldier. Though statues imported from Italy are relatively common on Queensland war memorials, this one is distinctive as it was not modified for its Australian purchasers.

Recorded by

Shirley and Trevor McIvor/Jim Jones, Secretary, Burrum District RSL Sub-Branch

Date recorded

4 March 2009