Location:
Between 75A and 9/69 Hereford Street - Low down & stainless steel on brickwall

Details:
ID Number: PLQ0302
Materials: Stainless steel
Dimensions: 590mm wide x 310mm high, lower edge 285mm above footpath

Inscription:

Australian Commonwealth Military Forces
This plaque commemorates the memory of the Services men and women of the Commonwealth of Australia Military Forces who occupied this site in the Parish of Glebe, between Hereford Street and Alfred Street, in various forms for 1915 through to the late 1990s.
Between 1915 and 1916 the land was purchased by the Commonwealth for Defence purposes under Land Acquisition Act 1906. Specifications were drawn up by the N.S.W Works Director, for erection of – drill hall with attached Latrine block, ???? store, fencing, gates and electrical lighting. Through the drill hall passed many members of the 55th and 53rd Battalions of WW1.
In the early 1970s the training depot was used by the WW11 Army Reserve (previously Citizens Military Forces) as a training depot, 2nd Ordinance Services unit and Engineering Depot – Regional Engineer. The location provided a steady flow of recruits for the Army reserve and the ease of access for the engineers to all metropolitan army units. In 1986 the drill hall was handed over for the use by Field Ambulance unit who occupied the premises to the end of the 1990s when it was eventually disposed of by the Commonwealth Government for residential use

Posted on 8 September 2015 for Peter Robinson

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  1. Comment by Sarah Fogg on 1 August 2025 at 10:46 am:

    Thanks Wayne for spotting those errors.

  2. Comment by Wayne Carveth on 1 August 2025 at 1:46 am:

    There are several errors in the inscribed text but the transcription should show the words as engraved.
    The transcription above looks as if it was done with an OCR. The main errors are:
    The word ‘mobilization’ is shown as ????
    WWI & WWII are transcribed with numeral ‘1’ instead of the letter ‘I’
    The collective year dates are shown in the modern fashion 1990s not 1990’s as inscribed
    The word ‘Defense’ as inscribed has been corrected to ‘Defence’
    The word ‘Ordnance’ as inscribed has been incorrectly changed to ‘Ordinance’

    The plaque’s inscription as engraved is:
    This plaque commemorates the memory of the Service men and women of the Commonwealth of Australia Military Forces
    who occupied this site in the Parish of Glebe, between Hereford Street and Alfred Street, in various forms from
    1915 through to the late 1990‘s.

    Between 1915 and 1916 the land was purchased by the Commonwealth for Defense purposes under
    Land Acquisition Act, 1906. Specifications were drawn up by the N.S.W. Works Director, for erection of a drill
    hall with attached latrine block, mobilization store, fencing, gates and electric lighting. Through the drill hall passed
    many members of the 55th and 53rd Battalions Of WWI and WWII

    In the early 1970’s the training depot was used by the Army Reserve (previously Citizen’s Military Forces)
    as a training depot, 2nd Ordnance Services unit and Engineers Depot – Regional Engineer.
    This location provided a steady flow of recruits for the Army Reserve unit and ease of access
    for the engineers to all metropolitan army units. In 1986 the drill hall was handed over for use by
    Field Ambulance unit who occupied the premises to the end of the 1990’s when it was
    eventually disposed of by the Commonwealth Government for residential use.