The names of hundreds of men and women who died serving in World War I have been paid tribute in the digital age with a new honour roll website.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The Soldiers’ Memorial Institute Military Museum, with a grant from the City of Greater Bendigo, has created the website for 499 people who were killed in service in the First World War.
Their names are among 2972 on the Soldiers’ Memorial Institute’s Roll of Honour.
The website includes information about each person, their service and their fate.
It has a photograph of each cemetery, each headstone or memorial tablet recording the individuals’ names and, where available, an individual photograph.
Visitors to the website can also follow links to the names of others who died serving with the same unit, or who are buried or recognised at the same cemetary or memorial.
Bendigo District RSL honorary historian Murray Poustie said the 499 people on the website were recognised at 158 cemeteries or memorials in 11 countries.
But 180 of those have no known grave.
Seventy-two names are on the memorial at Villers-Bretonneux in France, while 61 are recognised at Menin Gate in Belgium and 43 on various memorials at Gallipoli, Turkey.
The remaining four are listed on memorials in England and Israel.
Soldiers’ Memorial Institute Military Museum curator Kirsten McKay said the organisation was excited to be able to provide access to the names through the website as the museum undergoes renovation and expansion.
While there are others from Bendigo and surrounding areas who died serving in World War I, their names have not been included on the website roll as they were not on the Roll of Honour at the Institute.
The museum also notes that many people returned home sick, wounded or suffering from shell-shock or gassing, and died following the war.
Their details, while difficult to find, might form another project in the future.
To access the digital honour roll, visit www.bendigorollofhonour.com.au.
