Yeppoon War Memorial

Yeppoon War Memorial is a heritage-listed memorial avenue of trees in Normanby Street, James Street and Anzac Parade, Yeppoon, Shire of Livingstone, Queensland, Australia. It was built in 1921 and 1984. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 23 July 1999.HistoryThe Yeppoon War Memorial comprises a series of avenues of trees, located over Anzac Parade, James and Normanby Streets planted in 1921 and 1984, to commemorate the servicemen lost from the local community. The ANZAC Parade avenue of trees was officially opened on 26 December 1929 by the Chairman of the Livingstone Shire Council, Cr, T. Smith, whilst driving through ribbons held by returned servicemen in uniform. The memorial obelisk, erected in 1952, is located in Beaman Park at the intersection of Normanby and James Streets, commemorates all servicemen and women from the Yeppoon district. Together they create an integrated precinct of remembrance for the international conflicts in which Australia participated.Up until the early twentieth century, there were few statues or monuments in Queensland. However, as a result of the First World War (1914-1918), memorials were erected in almost every Queensland town. Such public expression of both grief for the dead and pride in the nation has not been generated by previous or subsequent wars. Memorials erected following subsequent wars were often adjuncts to the original commemorative symbols.The First World War had an enormous impact on the Australian population. Of those who went to war, almost one in five did not return. It was common for families to lose more than one son and for small communities to lose a whole generation of men.