Forest Hill War Memorial

The sculptor of Forest Hill’s war memorial in the Lockyer Valley is thought to be an ex-serviceman who fought with the Australian Light Horse in WWI. The 4.5m monument—a life-size soldier standing on a tall sandstone pedestal with classically carved colonnettes—was unveiled in 1921 by five mothers whose sons had died at war. Monument masons PJ Lowther and Sons of Brisbane were commissioned to create the £300 cenotaph for the Forest Hill Memorial League. It’s believed the family firm’s sculptor son Charles Lowther actually did the carving. The finely carved grey sandstone monument faces east, towards the rising sun. The names of 97 soldiers who served in the war, including 11 who did not return are inscribed on the stone. It’s located in a small park adjacent to a railway line. A plate with the names of WWII servicemen has been added.