Dangarsleigh War Memorial

The news of the outbreak of war between Britain and Germany in 1914 was received with great enthusiasm in Australia and an overwhelming number of volunteers enlisted to provide allied support in the conflict. With a population of less than five million people, over 400,000 Australian men enlisted and were sent to war with great fanfare and support from a proud Australian community. Intricately designed by Alfred Haroldston Perrott (senior), the memorial (when interpreted from its base upwards) symbolises the British Empire and Australia's role as an ally in the Great War. Surrounded by five pillars representing the dominions of the British Empire (being Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and India), the memorial has a triangular plinth representing England, Ireland and Scotland. Atop this is an octagonal spire (representing the eight countries united) and this is crowned with a sphere that represents the globe. Although the concept for the monument may have originated as a private expression of loss, the Dangarsleigh War Memorial soon became a structure reflecting the bereavement and pride of the wider community. In its construction, many local people helped in the building works and in providing and carting materials to the site. Upon the laying of the foundation stone in February 1921, local memorabilia selected by the community (including newspaper articles, literature, coins, Aboriginal artefacts, clay pipes and heads of wheat, barley and oats and three glass jars filled with letters, photographs and mementos sent home from local soldiers during the war) were installed in a small hollow chamber within the memorial as a form of time capsule. When the memorial was formally opened and dedicated in May 1921, the marble slabs of the obelisk were inscribed with the names of 16 local men who served (and some who died) in the Great War. == Description ==

The Dangarsleigh War Memorial is an elaborate concrete and stone obelisk on a raised plinth with an octagonal spire. The Interwar design of the monument has Middle Eastern influences and contains numerous symbolic elements that reflect World War I and the related commemoration that followed. At the base of the monument are five pillars representing the five dominions of the British Empire (Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and India). The triangular shape of the monument represents England, Ireland and Scotland. The octagonal spire represents the eight countries united. The monument is topped by a circle and globe which represents the world. The monument contains inlaid marble slabs which are inscribed with names of some 17 local men killed in World War I. Adjacent to the memorial are five gravesites and headstones of members of the Perrott family (including the designer and commissioner of the memorial, Alfred Haroldston Perrott). Adjacent to the memorial is an information shelter (erected in 1997). The monument location is enclosed by a brick and stone fence (1936) with wire mesh infill panels and lychgate entrance with cupola roof. The lychgate entrance is a concrete and stone temple-like turnstile gateway that bears the Buddhist word of "Nirvana". The entrance is topped by a bell and incorporates blue tiles donated from the Saints Mary and Joseph Catholic Cathedral, Armidale. The handles of the turnstile are inlaid with symbols of the navy and army. Condition As at 22 October 2015, the Dangarsleigh War Memorial and site was reported to be in very good condition due to regular care and maintenance by the land owner, Armidale Dumaresq Council. The Dangarsleigh War Memorial is highly intact, being unaltered since its construction in 1921. The only alterations to the general site have been the construction of the surrounding fence (built in similar materials in 1936) and the information shelter in 1997. Despite alterations to the site, the memorial structure remains the visually dominant element of the site. Modifications and dates • 1934 - Grave site installed for Alfred Haroldston Perrott (senior) • 1936 - Brick, stone and mesh fence and lych gate constructed to enclose memorial • 1942 - Grave site installed for Mabel Jane Perrott • 1962 - Grave site installed for Roy Leeson Haroldston Perrott • 1997 - Information shelter constructed onsite • 2001 - Grave site installed for Lillian Sylvia Benson Perrott • 2010 - Grave site installed for Roy Alfred Haroldston Perrott == Heritage listing ==

The Dangarsleigh War Memorial is of state heritage significance as a rare example of a privately designed and commissioned monument in NSW honouring the service of the Australian men during World War I and the great loss of life that was experienced across the country. Unlike other memorials that were aimed towards a more general audience, the erection of the obelisk at Dangarsleigh was a public demonstration of the bereavement of a private family. Designed and commissioned by a father to honour a lost son, the Dangarsleigh War Memorial is of state heritage significance for its elaborate and considered design and incorporation of symbolism and decoration that reflect the British Empire and Australia's role as an ally in the Great War of World War I. A particularly fine example of a memorial type that is commonly found across the state - the obelisk - the Dangarsleigh War Memorial is of state heritage significance as a representative example of a memorial for shared mourning and commemoration which continues to be evident in its ANZAC Day services each year. Dangarsleigh War Memorial was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 20 May 2016 having satisfied the following criteria. The place is important in demonstrating the course, or pattern, of cultural or natural history in New South Wales. The Dangarsleigh War Memorial is of state heritage significance as a rare example of a privately designed and commissioned monument in NSW honouring the service of the Australian men during World War I and the great loss of life that was experienced across the country. Unlike other memorials that were aimed towards a more general audience, the erection of the obelisk at Dangarsleigh was a public demonstration of the bereavement of a private family. Designed and commissioned by a father to honour a lost son, the memorial was soon expanded to the wider community and additional names inscribed on the memorial. Dangarsleigh War Memorial became a communal place of shared mourning and commemoration which continues to be evident in its ANZAC Day services each year. '''The place has a strong or special association with a person, or group of persons, of importance of cultural or natural history of New South Wales's history.''' The Dangarsleigh War Memorial is of local heritage significance for its direct association with the locally significant Perrott family and the Chevy Chase property. Furthermore, the memorial is of local significance for its association with those local serviceman inscribed on the memorial. The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales. The Dangarsleigh War Memorial is of state heritage significance for its aesthetic values. Unlike other memorials that were aimed towards a more general audience (achieved by using generic design language), the Dangarsleigh War Memorial is an elaborately designed and embellished monument that has been achieved through detailed consideration of symbolism and decoration. Privately designed and commissioned, the aesthetic form of the Dangarsleigh War Memorial reflects the British Empire and Australia's role as an ally in the Great War of World War I. The place has strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group in New South Wales for social, cultural or spiritual reasons. The Dangarsleigh War Memorial is of local heritage significance as a community gathering place for the annual ANZAC Day memorial services. The place has potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales. The Dangarsleigh War Memorial is of local heritage significance for the collection of local materials and memorabilia interred within the memorial on the day of the laying of its foundation stone on 21 February 1921. Materials have been reported to include newspaper articles, literature, coins, Aboriginal artefacts, clay pipes and heads of wheat, barley and oats. Additionally, the interment contains three glass jars filled with letters, photographs and mementos sent home from local soldiers during World War I. The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales. Amongst the wealth of war memorials in NSW commissioned by state and local governments as communal places of conflict-related grief and commemoration, the Dangarsleigh War Memorial is of state heritage significance as one of only three privately commissioned World War I memorials identified in the state. Although similar in intent, Dangarsleigh War Memorial is rare compared to others due to its elaborate and considered design and incorporation of symbolic elements that demonstrate Australia's role in the Great War and position within the British Empire. The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of cultural or natural places/environments in New South Wales. The Dangarsleigh War Memorial is of state heritage significance as a particularly fine example of a memorial type that is commonly found across the state - the obelisk. Obelisks were the most popular form of memorial in NSW due to its recognisable form and the ease and relatively low cost of construction but it was the embellishment that was applied to this common design is what set each memorial apart. The Dangarsleigh War Memorial shares the same function and community value as many other World War I memorials around NSW but it is its embellishment and symbolic detail that makes it a particularly fine representative example of the obelisk form. == See also ==