Ebbw Vale Memorial Park

In the Ipswich suburb of Ebbw Vale, the memory of young men cut down in their prime in WWI lingers by a football field. The AL Petrie soldier statue memorial was originally unveiled near Ebbw Vale railway station on 14 May 1918. It was relocated in 1969 to Ebbw Vale Memorial Park, once known as the Whitwood grounds, named after a local colliery which had fielded two soccer teams since the 1890s. Among the 22 names of those who enlisted in WWI are soccer team members William Jeffrey, Peter Jeffrey, H Mills and LW Breslin. Unlike other states which favoured more architectural monuments, many Queensland communities chose the soldier statue for its traits of youth, masculinity, loyalty, bravery and innocence. Soccer is still played on the grounds, along with cricket, softball and touch football and major community gatherings.