Progress on the National Boer War Memorial - February 2012

The memorial design has been agreed and signed off by the minister.  It will be announced by our National Patron General David Hurley AC, DSC, Chief of Defence Force in Canberra on 1 March 2012.

The 110^th Anniversary of the Boer War is the theme for Reserve Forces Day 2012. Reserve Forces Day is held near 1 July every year to commemorate the service and sacrifice of those who serve part-time in Australia's armed forces. The Boer War was for the most part fought by Australian soldiers who fall into this category.

Reserve Forces Day 2012 was launched in Parliament House, Sydney on Saturday 26 November 2011. Colonel John Haynes OAM, Ret'd President of the National Boer War Memorial Association Inc was invited to address the launch function. Activate the controls below to see and hear what was said.

Other speeches made at the Reserve Forces Day launch, and the parade featuring Boer War Soldier's descendants can be accessed on the Reserve Forces Day Website CLICK_HERE.

Designated Gift Recipient Status

At the end of 2009 the NBWMA sought approval for a specific Designated Gift Recipient (DGR) status for the project from the government to enhance the status of the project in raising funds. (We already have a general DGR to cover donations.) It appears that this request has been referred to a committee for advice. The reality is that the approval must pass through Parliament as part of a Finance Bill.

Seed Grant

Early in 2010 the NBWMA applied for a seed grant for the project. As yet we have had no response from the Government despite numerous follow up letters to relevant Government ministers.

Design Approval

The memorial design has been agreed and signed off by the minister.  It will be announced by our National Patron General David Hurley AC, DSC, Chief of Defence Force in Canberra on 1 March 2012.

Implications

Our concern with the current time delays is that to construct the proposed memorial will require about three years work not only in the memorial area but time for the sculptor to complete that part of the work. This could cause the memorial start to be delayed to well after the end of the ANZAC centennial in 2018.

Petition

With these issues central to the National committee’s attention, the National Executive at its meeting 11 September 2011 decided to raise a petition to demonstrate public support for the project. We therefore need your help in this. CLICK HERE to download the petition form. Please canvas friends and neighbours about the need for a national memorial to our first war as a nation, and in particular the need for quick decisions to be made. Return with as many signatures as you can get. Please send your form to the Queensland address on the form.

David Deasey, November 2011

Just a comment from the webmaster, the lead photo showing a roadblock between Vredefort (where Neville Howse won his VC) and Kroonstad in South Africa exemplifies the situation we are in. At least at such roadblocks, you will find them all over the country as the road system is upgraded, the wait time is a maximum of 20 minutes. We after all our efforts to raise funds, conduct a design competition and show clear community awareness, are faced with indefinite red-tape delays. I recognise that the government has been faced with difficult situations in effectively managing us through a series of global financial crises, and securing a viable future for our children by controlling carbon emissions, BUT surely just a tick in the box for the National Boer War Memorial would not take too much time and energy.