Cunnamulla War Memorial Fountain

The ornately carved water fountain is identified by an inscription as a war memorial. It stands in a traffic island at a 5-way intersection in the town centre of Cunnamulla. Paroo Shire decided on a war memorial fountain in 1920. The process of selecting and installing the monument took some time. Despite the submission of memorial designs from A L Petrie and sons in Brisbane, the council and the Diggers Racing Club collaborated on the purchase of a stock item, and railed it to Cunnamulla—with an identical fountain found in Wellington, NSW. The fountain was installed prior to the Armistice Day race carnival in 1926 and unveiled on ANZAC Day 1927. Fountains were an unusual choice in Queensland. It’s thought that the symbology of water—a scarce commodity in outback Queensland—may have been considered a suitable ‘sacrifice’. The centrepiece comprises 4 basins decreasing in scale as they peak. Gargoyles’ heads, winged griffins holding shields bearing emus and kangaroos, leaf-like motifs and scrollwork add to the elaborate classic design. The figure of a little boy stands at the very top. The fountain doesn’t bear names of the fallen: they’re found on an honour board in the Civic Centre.