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A jubilant soldier, clenched right fist in the air, seemingly cheering in triumph, creates an unusual sight at Atherton's War Memorial. Tinaroo Shire chairman Mr Grau unveiled the memorial on 1 May 1924 following combined fundraising by local women and Atherton RSL. Leftover funds were used to expand Atherton's hospital.
The soldier statue, believed to have been designed and executed by the region's then leading monumental firm Melrose and Fenwick, bears other unique features: a gas mask and a tin hat, instead of a slouch hat; rocks support the digger's leg instead of a tree stump. Originally the digger carried a rifle with a fixed bayonet in his left hand, which was blown off in a severe storm in 1934.
The names of the 67 men from the district who died in WWI are listed on a plate at the front of the monument; another 35 names, representing locals who died in WWII, appear on the rear.
This monument was moved from the town's main intersection and sits within a park, opposite Atherton's RSL building....
