A new World War II display is giving future generations and visitors the opportunity to honour the war-time contribution of servicemen and women from the Adelaide Hills.

Located on the main street at Macclesfield, the World War II Commemoration mural pays tribute to the service and sacrifice of local people who served in World War II.

The project, undertaken by the Macclesfield RSL Sub Branch in collaboration with local visual artist Cat Dean and tradespeople, was unveiled in February this year, creating a special place for community reflection in time for Victory in the Pacific Day on 15 August.

This year’s Victory in the Pacific Day, or VP Day, is a significant event, commemorating 80 years since Australians celebrated the end of World War II.

The two men and one woman commemorated in the mural are:

• School teacher Hubert George Carlyle from Greenhills who enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force in August 1941, becoming a Navigator in Lancaster Bomber; he was killed in action in France in June 1944, aged 30.
• Gwendolen Mary Taverner from Macclesfield who served with the Australian Army Medical Women’s Service (AAMWS) at 107 Australian General Hospital at Daw Park in Adelaide between 1944 and 1945. Tragically, Gwendolen died in a vehicle accident in August 1947, aged 25 years.
• Farm labourer Ronald Matthew Vogt from Flaxley who enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy in February 1940 and was killed in action in November 1941 when HMAS Sydney was sunk by the Germans in the Indian Ocean, off Western Australia.

Alongside the mural is a poster with a QR code, enabling visitors to interact online with the Australian War Memorial.

Dennis Oldenhove, President of the Macclesfield RSL Sub Branch, said: “The main thing is that the mural commemoration includes local people, it tells their stories.

“Living in a country town, I think it’s important that young people don’t only know the ‘big names’ or famous people.”

Mr Oldenhove, himself an Australian Army veteran who served between 1992 and 2011 including a deployment to Iraq, wants the mural tribute to encourage local youth to think big.

“The point is, you can be the girl next door and make a significant contribution to your country.

“I hope that’s what young people see when they look at the mural, the contribution of people from their own town – that they can look to them as role models and preserve local history.

“There’s more to it than just a painting, there’s a digital element that educates as well as commemorates.”

The Macclesfield WWII Memorial Mural was supported by $14,000 in grant funding from the 80^th Anniversary of the end of World War II Grant Fund, managed by Veterans SA on behalf of the Government of South Australia.