Artwork to remember local World War I soldiers and The Memo’s layered history is now on display.
Yarra Ranges Council, Healesville and District Historical Society and Healesville RSL commissioned artist Ali Griffin to create the artwork called Parquetry of Honour.
Griffin used parquetry tiles recently removed from The Memo’s auditorium floor to create a hanging sculpture punctuated with a striking modern neon light reading ‘they shall not be forgotten’.
Some of the tiles are inscribed with the soldier’s names.
Councillor Fiona McAllister launched the artwork in a moving ceremony on the eve of the Armistice Centenary, 10 November.
“The artwork honours the men from Healesville who fought in the war, the strong community who supported them and their memory through using materials from the original Soldier’s Memorial Hall,” she said.
Cr McAllister said the artwork would draw people’s attention to the building’s story, while reflecting its current use as a creative hub and performance space.
The Memo Hall was opened on 24 April 1924 thanks to donations, with a carnival and other community activities.
It became an important community gathering place, welcomed a cinema program following the advent of silent movies in the 1920s and hosted a variety of live performances including by Dame Nellie Melba in 1928.
