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Garden Hill is a dormant volcano at Kangaroo
Ground and the tallest hill for many kilometres
around. In 1919 Ruby and Robert White donated
this land for the purpose of the Shire of Eltham
War Memorial in memory of the soldiers killed
in the Battle of Bullecourt, France, including
Ruby’s brother Harold. The 12 metre Memorial
Tower of Remembrance was unveiled on 11th
November 1926. Architects Arthur Stephenson
and Percy Meldrum designed the tower in the
style of a Scottish watch-tower recognising
Kangaroo Ground’s early Scottish settlers. It
was built by George Rousell from stone quarried
from Dr Ethel Osborne’s property in Kangaroo
Ground.
It offers 360 degree views which take in
Melbourne, the north-east suburbs and
the Dandenong and Kinglake Ranges. This
photograph was taken in the 1930’s before the
cannon, sitting to the right of the tower was
sadly stolen. By 1948 the tower had become
a fire spotting tower and in 1974 a wooden
spotter’s cabin was built on the viewing platform
on top of the tower. This cabin was later
replaced following the Black Saturday bushfires
in 2009.
The flower within this panel is
Thelymitra ixioides,
known as the spotted sun orchid.
PHOTOGRAPHS
Kangaroo GroundWar
Memorial Tower,
Kangaroo Ground 1930’s
Andrew Ross Museum
Sun Orchid
Photographer Jacinda Brown
INFORMATION
Nillumbik Shire Council,
Nillumbik Heritage Guide
(2015)
Kangaroo Ground
Tower
AND SPOTTED
SUN ORCHID