Midland Railway Workshop
|
|
|
These workshops cover many hectares of land to the south of the town area and from the late 1800s to the early 1990s was the main maintenance depot for the Government Railway,not only for rolling stock but permanent way also. Every trade for the repair and building of rolling stock and permanent way was represented and many hundreds of men were employed, at the outbreak of war in 1914 the railway was the largest single employer in the State. The Workshops are now closed but there are plans to use part of them in the educational system.The Memorial was commissioned by "Workshops Fallen Soldiers Memorial Committee" (comprising thirteen individuals and two Trustees,the President was the Chief Mechanical Engineer). The design and construction tender by Peter Porcelli,Sculptor,of 47,Melbourne St.,Perth for a total cost of Nine hundred & Fifty Pounds was accepted on 1st.December,1924 and the contract documents were signed 7th.January,1925 with a completion date of 7th.November,1925 with a penalty rate of One Pound for every week of delay. The Contract contained thirty Clauses including Clause 20 (2) that the contractors employees must be paid at the work site or some adjoining building but not at any house licenced to sell liquors or refreshments.The unveiling and dedication ceremony was held on the 20th.December,1925 and the description of the Memorial taken from the official program reads as follows: "The design for the Memorial Column is after the Grecian Ionic order of architecture,consisting of a chamfered plinth,die and cap,square base moulding,shaft and Ionic cap,mounted upon three rock faced granite steps.Western Australian granite(Mahogany Creek) has been used for this work.The bronze draped female figure standing upon a sphere which surmounts the granite column is represented as calling upon the world,the right hand raised demanding silence,and the left one holding a palm leaf; the head is crowned with a wreath of laurel,and the left foot is trampling upon a sword. The pose and attitude of the whole figure represents"Peace". A special feature has been made of the bronzed name and inscription tablets,which are secured to three faces of the die stone;they have been specially designed for this monument" Further on it is noted that the figure of "Peace" was modelled by Mr.P.Porcelli and cast in bronze in Naples (legend has it that the model for "Peace" was a typist from the railway office).Mr Porcelli's tender for the whole works notes that the height is to be twentyeight feet.The three inscription tablets referred to above comprised one mounted at the front,and shown above,reading "In Enduring Commemoration of the Loyalty,Devotion and Sacrifice of Workshop Comrades Who Fell in the Great War 1914 - 1918. These Our Glorious Dead. Erected by their fellow employees". and two,one on each side, containing the names of the fallen of which there are seventy According to the official program the ceremony commenced at 3.15pm with a selection from the Band of the 28th.Battalion followed by "Comrades in Arms" by the Railway Male Octet,the unveiling was done by the Govenor of W.A. followed by the dedication by the Archbishop of Perth,after several speeches and the singing of two hymns,the ceremony concluded at 5pm with the playing of the National Anthem.To commemorate the fallen workers of World War II a fourth tablet (in the same style) was added,this tablet contains twenty-six names.
(thanks to Don Cruden of the Upper Swan Sub-Branch of the RSL for most of the above information)
