Warilla RSL Sub-Branch president Don Briggs and Monuments in Memoriam's Grahame Ewings with the refurbished memorial at Shellharbour. Picture: DAVID HALL
WARILLA RSL Sub- Branch president Don Briggs has been "stunned" by council's inability to assist financially with the cost of restoring the Atchison War Memorial in Shellharbour Village.
The war memorial is the oldest in Australia, dating back 113 years to when the family of the late Private Samuel Charles Atchison erected a monument in his memory after the 24-year-old was killed in action at Rensburg, South Africa, on February 22, 1900, during the Boer War.
The memorial was unveiled on May 30 the same year.
"With the 100-year centenary of World War I in mind and the possibility of the company being busy in the lead-up to the centenary, we sent the quote to council and later held meetings with them in January 2012," Mr Briggs said.
"In October 2012 we sent a letter to council saying because of the delay in the work that the cost had sky-rocketed.
"Council advised that they considered the work to be of utmost importance and described the work as 'a priority'.
"But when our representatives Allan Hurrell and Barry Young met with the mayor and council officers, they were advised that council had no money available, but would assist the RSL with a public appeal."
The RSL has already spent $11,700 of the $20,000 required, with workers from Monuments in Memoriam completing the work last Friday.
"The memorial is used for ANZAC Day events, and in fact the family of the late Private Atchison still attend the Anzac Service each year," Mr Briggs said.
Shellharbour Mayor Marianne Saliba said she was disappointed that the Warilla RSL hadn't been back in contact if they were disappointed about the current arrangements.
"I met with their representatives several months ago," Cr Saliba said.
"They indicated that they had the money to do the work and we offered to assist them gain extra funding.
"I personally wrote to the Boer War Association on their behalf and there is federal funding available also that we were happy to assist them with.
"To be honest I am shocked that they are now disappointed with our response and hope we can still help out in some way."
