Memorabilia associated with the Walk

This section brings together some items of memorabilia collected by members or handed down by families of soldiers.

The Programme August 1918

A number of copies of this still exist. Professionally printed and including the names of all those for whom trees were planted on August 3rd 1918 from both Hobart and New Town.

These items have been reproduced with the permission of Roslyn Budd and the Eltham family.

Front Cover.

Page 1.

Page 2.

Page 3.

Page 4.

Back cover.

The Art of William Keith Eltham

Keith Eltham was a well-known local sportsman and cartoonist who worked in the City Engineers Department of the Hobart City Council as a draughtsman. He enlisted in August 1914 and joined the artillery where his technical skill with a pen was put to good use. He served on Gallipoli and then went to France where he was killed in action on Sunday 31 December 1916 by a sniper's bullet through the heart. Before enlisting he had represented Tasmania in cricket playing against England, South Africa, Victoria and New South Wales. He also rowed.

Before he left he put together a collection of pens, inks and paints as well as small sketchbooks. While in London he also purchased an elaborate paint box for watercolours that is still in the possession of the family. Most drawings and paintings were done in books that fitted snugly in a jacket pocket. One of these books still bears a bullet imprint from when he was struck by a spent round: the outer cover and pages are ripped, those deeper in indented by the impact. A later bullet went through another pad and killed him instantly.

Among the drawings and sketches are a number that were more than merely musings but served the practical purpose of marking aiming points for artillery firing off the map. Lt Eltham as a forward observer would call the fall of shot and correct ranges using these handy references. This is most clearly seen in the Gallipoli sketch and the Melbourne Mansions watercolour.

These items have been reproduced with the permission of Roslyn Budd and the Eltham family.

Watercolour of Aden done from memory.

Small watercolour of barbed wire (place unknown). The cover of the pocket book can be seen clearly.

Hand printed Christmas card 1915. Probaly made using rubber blocks and basic blue and red ink.

Back of Christmas card 1915. The colour patch is for 1st Division Artillery units.

Professionally printed Christmas card 1916. The illustration is by Keith in ink.

Cover of the 1916 Christmas card.

A sketch of the Gallipoli positions later published in the Tasmanian Mail. The note in the bottom left corner reads "I must add for realism that being sniped at by some inartistic Turk caused me to finish sketch rather hurriedly - so any crookedness in the Aiming Posts can be credited to Kaiser Bill as usual - Query - 'Should [obscure] make Turkish Delight?" The note to the bottom right reads "Two cases of "Johnnie Walker" washed up on the Beach Inside M. Turks lines. So sad! Out of reach!. The remainder of the captions point out Trukish batteries, trench lines and observation points. The aiming posts were used by artillery observers to mark and adjust the fall of shot. This and the "Melbourne Mansion" skecth therefore had a very practical purpose for Keith and other observers.

This scene of North beach at Gallipoli inlcudes the graves of two Tasmanians kiled at the landing.

An example of Keith's cartoons.

The Lille Gate in Ypres, and fairly typical of Keith's pen work.

A highly detailed colour drawing of the line near Fromelles listing main aiming points, topogrpahical features and divided laterally by degrees of deviation from a central firing point. A wonderful aid to a forward observer himself at a fixed point. The name refers to a fortified position used for observing the battle area.

A lovely pen drawing of a scene at Mena in Egypt.

A small pencil sketch. The cover and depth of the pokcet book can be clearly seen.

Travelling paint box used by Keith Eltham, made in London and including his name card.

Badges

The Soldiers Memorial Avenue badge

This selection includes the badge produced in 1918 to publicise the planting of the Soldiers Memorial Avenue originally planned for July it was delayed till August 3rd . The graphic is quite striking and well balanced and serves as the logo for Friends of Soldiers Walk Inc.

The Mothers and Wives Association

Called in full the Mothers and Wives Soldiers and Sailors Association and its counterpart the Fathers Soldiers and Sailors Association were active in creating the Avenue and were its unofficial guardians through the 1920s and 1930s organising working bees and pressuring the Hobart City Council on maintenance issues.

RSSILA badge

The RSSILA badge dates from the early 1920s. The RSA/RSSILA was prominent in pushing for the creation of the Avenue and its State Secretary George Foster is the subject of many photos allotting sites and overseeing proceedings with the rest of the Committee next to the Boer War memorial.

Thanks to D Barnett and A Howard for these images.

The badge produced in 1918 to publicise the planting of the Soldiers Memorial Avenue.

Mothers and Wives Association badge.
This organisation was prominent in the creation and maintenance of the Avenue well into the 1930s.

These death plaques or medallions were supplied to the family of every deceased serviceman during the early 1920s. This still has its original packing. They were popularly known as the 'deadman's penny'.

RSSILA badge from Tasmania in the early 1920s.

Scrolls and Medallions

It was common around Australia for municipal and city Councils to give Certificates of Appreciation to returning soldiers. Less common is the printed 'statement of regret' though most Councils sent letters of condolence, this printed statement gives an idea of the effect of large casualties in large centres as city Councils coped with logistics of offering condolences to hundreds of families.

Families also received a brief memorial statement from the King and the memorial medallion or 'deadman's penny' as it was commonly known.

These items have been reproduced with the permission of Roslyn Budd and the Eltham family.

The standard certificate of condolence from the King.

The Hobart City Council issued certificates of thanks and remembrance to the next of in of all servicemen who died. The sentiments expressed in the last sentence reflect the motivations behind the planting of the Memorial Avenue but have not always been sustained.