This page is dedicated to the memory of brave Servicemen and Women that we honour through the construction and dedication of estates and parks in their names.
Grace Wilson
Grace Wilson served in the Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) in both World War 1 and World War 2. She was a self-disciplined leader described by many as having a rare quality that inspired deep and lasting loyalty. Grace Wilson had a sympathetic ear for her nurses and a determination to improve their conditions and training. She regarded it as a privilege to help the ‘bright and brave’ wounded soldiers and, with her great gift for living, was an inspiration to nurses and soldiers alike.
The $17.5 million Grace Wilson Estate, completed in June 2007, provides 50 new homes for ADF members and their families at Rode Road, McDowall, Brisbane. Bounded by Trouts, Keona and Rode Road in McDowall, Grace Wilson Estate adjoins an established residential area with easy access to community facilities, schools and parks, and is close to the Enoggera Army Base. The modern homes are set in parkland with the overall design and landscaping creating a strong sense of community. Two landscaped parks include barbeque facilities and playgrounds.
Read more about Grace Wilson here (PDF 3.8MB)
Clarence Jeffries
Captain Jeffries led a party of a dozen men to charge an enemy pillbox from the rear, capturing 25 German prisoners and two machine guns. They had reached their first objective and dug in, but they had suffered great losses and had only three officers left. Then the senior forward officer of the brigades, Major Buchanan of the 39th Infantry Battalion, was killed by another burst of machine gun fire
The Defence Housing Authority’s Clarence Jeffries Estate at Adamstown near Newcastle is named in honour of one of the region’s bravest sons, killed in action during the First World War. Located on a former Army Reserve site, the 68 home estate is just six kilometres from the Newcastle business district. Streets in the development are named for famous battles fought during the war and include Fromelles Place, Bullecourt Circuit and Amiens Place. The $21.6 million Clarence Jeffries Estate will meet the growth in Defence housing requirements forecast for the Newcastle region over the next few years
Read more about Clarence Jeffries here (PDF 452KB)
Corporal John French
At Milne Bay on the afternoon of 4th September 1942 a company of an Australian infantry battalion attacked the Japanese position east of the Buna Mission* where it encountered terrific rifle and machine gun fire. The advance of the section of which Corporal French was in command was held up by fire from three enemy machine gun posts, whereupon Corporal French, ordering his section to take cover, advanced and silenced one of the posts with grenades. He returned to his section for more grenades and again advanced and silenced the second post. Armed with a Thompson sub-machine gun, he then attacked the third post, firing from the hip as he went forward. He was seen to be badly hit by the fire from this post, but continued to advance. The enemy gun then ceased to fire and his section pushed on to find that all members of the three enemy gun crews had been killed and Corporal French had died in front of the third gun pit. By his cool courage and disregard of his own personal safety, this non-commissioned officer saved the members of his section from heavy casualties and was responsible for the successful conclusion of the attack.
* This was in fact K.B. Mission
The John French Estate and Memorial Park was opened in Enoggera, Brisbane on 10 April 2003.
Read more about Corporal John French here (PDF 949KB)