World War 1 Remembered

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World War 1 Remembered is dedicated to our local champions who volunteered to serve in a war far from home and to those who remained offering their support from the home front.

Reliving the memories

George Burrows MC

Listen to interviews with family members of those who took part in World War 1 and have a connection with our local area. The interviews explore their memories of these soldiers and consequent investigations into their family tree.

Local Hero - Leo Whitby Robinson (1879-1963)

Leo Whitby Robinson

In September 1916, Leo Whitby resigned his position as mayor of Woollahra and enlisted for active service. He embarked for England in December 1916, aged 37.

Recruiting our local heroes

Monster recruitment flyer

In the first days of the war, the ultimate demand which would be made upon the nation's human resources was unimaginable. Similarly unforeseeable, in the heady atmosphere of an initial enlistment rush, was the eventual development of a recruitment shortfall.

Champions of the home front

Vaucluse red cross logo

Despite living so far from the scenes of battle, the residents of the municipalities of Paddington, Vaucluse and Woollahra received constant reminders of the conflict abroad from the sights and sounds of their local neighborhoods.

Memorials to our local heroes

Double Bay War Memorial

As the shocking effects of the war began to be felt, communities across the country were driven by the need to find a way to honour and remember those who served and died so far from home.

Aftermath of the war

Reunion memento detail

The end of active combat, secured by the signing of an armistice on 11 November 1918, allowed a gradual refocusing of the national vision. Participation in the war had brought about irreversible social and economic change, which drove the next stage of the nation's history.

Shared stories

Woollahra War Census

Share your personal story about the First World War through your family history and read stories submitted by our community.

Image Gallery

  • Ethel Lavery
  • Leo Whitby Robinson
  • Returned soldiers
  • Certificate of Honour
  • Vaucluse Voluntary Workers Association
  • Vaucluse Progress Association
  • German gun in front of Council Chambers
  • Vaucluse War Memorial flagpole
  • Harry Russell
  • Returned and wounded soldiers
  • Cecil Moulder
  • Moulder family and friends
  • Captain Charles Leer
  • HMAS Tingira