Hoop pines planted to represent Woy Woy's fallen

Woy Woy Memorial Park, the usual site for Anzac ceremonies, is dominated by hoop pines planted more than 90 years ago.

Fourteen hoop pines were planted in 1927 at Woy Woy memorial park to represent fallen soldiers - the "Sons of Woy Woy" - long before there was a tarred and sealed road.

Some trees were lost with the realignment of the road.

Only 11 trees remain now and they are a significant landmark which can be seen from Gosford across Brisbane Water.

Originally, there was a tree for each of the names on the cenotaph for the war dead of World War I.

This war memorial was not entirely dedicated to the commemoration of local men who went to war.

In many instances, the memorial was for the parents of the soldiers.

Many of the men who enlisted were not living in the Woy Woy district at the time of enlistment. Often it was the parents who lived in the Woy Woy area.

As the war dead of that era were not repatriated to Australia, it was important that the parents had somewhere to grieve.

Woy Woy war memorial was a public place for the acknowledgment of the family's loss in the absence of a grave to visit.

There are three sets of brothers named on the memorial - the Roberts, the Tonkins and the Coxes.

The war memorial was consecrated by NSW Governor Sir Phillip Game in 1932, although Anzac Day had been commemorated at the site since 1923.

The stone obelisk dates to 1925.

The land was donated by the trustees of the Cox Estate and the Cox family had four sons go to war and had lost two sons.

Fred Cox was an auctioneer and real estate agent and died suddenly in 1916.

The following names are on the memorial for World War I. Some of the families names are still in the district.

Some of the enlistment numbers are inside the first 1000 men who put up their hands.

Miles Standish Cox, station hand, enlisted 17 Aug 1914 aged 23, service number 165, whose next of kin was Mr F Cox of "Sabrina" Wagstaff Point, died 16 Dec 1914 at 23 years four months of pneumonia and buried in Mena Camp, Cairo, Egypt.

His brother Edward King (Standish) Cox, also a station hand, enlisted on the same day aged 29, service number 164. He died 13 Dec 1914 at 29 years four months of pneumonia and buried in Mena Camp, Cairo, Egypt

C. Robert Fountain, carpenter, enlisted 2 Mar 1915 aged 21 years four months, service number 54, whose next of kin was George Henry Fountain, Blackwall Rd, Woy Woy, was killed in action in Belgium on 13 Oct 1917 aged 23 years seven months.

William Joseph Geraghty, clerk, enlisted 4 Aug 1914 aged 21 years five months, service number 3056, died of wounds 28/8/1918 aged 25 years five months, and was buried at Moncourt Church Cemetery, France.

Andrew Arthur Murphy, boatman, enlisted 20 Mar 1915 aged 24 years three months, service number 931, whose next of kin was Andrew Murphy of "Grandview" Woy Woy, sailed from Suez and died accidentally from a head injury as he fell off a gang plank leaving a ship in Colombo, Sri Lanka on 20 Jan 1916 aged 24 years 11 months, and was buried in Commonwealth War Cemetery Colombo, Sri Lanka.

John Horace Ormiston, clerk, enlisted 6 Mar 1916 aged 42, service number 2372, whose next of kin was Richard Henry Ormiston of Woy Woy, died on 6 May 1918 aged 44 from a wound while on active service and was buried in Querrien British Cemetery, France.

Frederick Stuart, driver, enlisted 8 Sep 1915 aged 27 years nine months, service number 3990, whose next of kin was Mr W Stuart of Brick Wharf Rd, Woy Woy, was missing in action presumed dead then confirmed dead by his ID tags on 7 Jun 1917, and was buried Mesaines Ridge British Cemetery.

Robert Richard Roberts, boatman, enlisted 27 Nov 1915 aged 30 years 10 months, service number 5101, whose next of kin was Mr Charles Roberts of Woy Woy, died aged 31 years 9 months on 4 Mar 1917 of wounds sustained in active service from gunshot wounds to head and leg, and was buried St Sever Cemetery Rouen, France.

His brother John Henry Roberts, fettler, enlisted 25 Aug 1915 aged 27 years three months, service number 4870, died of wounds received in action on 15 Feb 1918 aged 29 years 10 months and was buried in Wytschaet, Ypres.

Harry Peel, mechanic, enlisted 3 Aug 1915 aged 21 years six months, service number 3433, whose next of kin was Harry Peel of Woy Woy, died of wounds in active service on 4 Aug 1916 aged 22 years 6 months, and was buried at Military Cemetery Puchvillers, France.

Richard Caleb Tonkin, carpenter, enlisted 28 Sep 1914 aged 21 years two months, service number 445, whose next of kin was Mrs Margaret Jane Tonkin of "Kundle" Woy Woy, was killed in action at Gallipoli 19 Aug 1915 aged 22 years one month and was buried in Lone Pine Cemetery.

His brother Leslie George Tonkin, carpenter, enlisted 8 Feb 1915 aged 20 years seven months, service number 1646, was killed in action Flanders, France, on 14 Nov 1916 aged 22 years four months with injuries from a shell, and was buried where he lay.

Gordon Weaver, travelling salesman, enlisted 14 Sep 1914 aged 36, service number 478, whose next of kin was Emily Weaver, of Sydney, died 22 Apr 1923 aged 44, was medically discharged as he developed diabetes and died of same at home in Booker Bay, and was buried at Kincumber.

SOURCE:

Media release, 29 Apr 2020

Karen Askew, Point Clare Cemetery History Tours.