Memorial to Tasmanian athletes who served in World War I finds a new home at the State Library

JUST in time for Remembrance Day, a long-forgotten World War I Honour Roll has found a new home.

Retired teacher Michael Hawkins is delighted a Tasmanian Amateur Athletic Association shield honouring athletes who served in World War I has finally found a permanent home. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

WITH Remembrance Day almost upon us, 220 Tasmanian soldiers are to be honoured by the unveiling of a World War I honour roll in the foyer of the State Library in Hobart.

The 2m-tall blackwood board recognises members of the Tasmanian Amateur Athletic Association who served in the Great War.

The Governor of Tasmania, Professor Kate Warner, will unveil the memorial at 2pm today.

It has been refurbished and rehoused in the Hobart LINC foyer thanks to the collaborative efforts of retired teacher Michael Hawkins and organisations including Friends of Soldiers Memorial Avenue (FOSMA), LINC Tasmania and Athletics Tasmania.

Mr Hawkins discovered the honour roll — which lists one of his relatives as killed in action — all but forgotten in a bunker at the Domain Athletics Centre.

William Cuthbert Hawkins, who was killed in World War I, is included on the roll of honour recognising Tasmanian athletes who fought in the Great War. Picture: SUPPLIED

“It’s a magnificent thing. I’m in awe of whoever put it together, whoever had the job of putting 220 names onto that board,” Mr Hawkins said.

Earlier this year, Mr Hawkins contacted the Mercury seeking help to find the board a new home.

The Mercury published an article, which included comment from the manager of the Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office Caroline Homer on whether it could go on display at the State Library.

“As a result of that story I then went to the library,” Mr Hawkins said. “I thought if it was in the State Library originally, then maybe that’s where it ought to go back to.”

The Mercury’s research had found that the honour roll’s original home had been in the Carnegie Building in Argyle St, a forerunner of the State Library.

Mr Hawkins is pleased the board will be back on public display and that the soldiers listed will be honoured, with their relatives able to find out about them and their stories.

“When I look at the board, I don’t see 220 names, I see 220 stories. Every one of them has their own individual story of how they came to be on it,” Mr Hawkins said.

The long-forgotten Tasmanian Amateur Athletics Association honour roll.

FOSMA founder Adrian Howard said 45 of the names listed on the roll were marked as killed in action, and 26 of them had trees at Memorial Avenue on the Queens Domain.

Mrs Homer said LINC has accepted the honour roll into their archive to be kept as a permanent record, along with other records from the athletics association.

After the board was crafted in 1921, it was housed in the Hobart public library for about 40 years.

Mrs Homer said she was glad to have it up on display.

“It’s a nice story that the board was originally here. It’s kind of coming home in some ways,” she said.

Hanging in a prominent position in the Hobart LINC foyer, “you can’t help but notice it — it looks terrific,” Mrs Homer said.

A digital version of the board has also been created allowing people to click on the names to find out more about them. To access it, click here.

About 50 people are expected at the unveiling, including members of FOSMA, Athletics Tasmania, LINC, RSL, as well as descendants of those listed on the board.

Members of the public are welcome to attend.

Originally published as Memorial to Tasmanian athletes who served in World War I finds a new home at the State Library