Thursday, 20 November 2025

 Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (09:44): William ‘Bill’ Abraham Matthews was laid to rest with a very special plaque in the Wonthaggi Cemetery 100 years late. Nestled under the majestic gums lies the grave of World War I soldier William ‘Bill’ Matthews. Until recently it was unmarked, but no longer. Through the efforts of a local historian, the Phillip Island RSL and family and friends the resting place of the Wonthaggi man is marked by a special plaque honouring his service.

The story is a tragic one. Having survived the 1917 battlefields of Bullecourt in France, wounded in the head with flying shrapnel, Bill was repatriated home to Australia. Bill married and began a family in Wonthaggi. While working in a coalmine in McBride Tunnel, he was tragically killed by a fall of rock. His father Abraham was first on the scene.

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Some centuries later his family and the Phillip Island RSL researched, applied for and were provided with a grant to dedicate the plaque on his grave. I and my colleague Tim Bull were delighted to play a small role in advocating to the Commonwealth on their behalf. The plaque stands as a permanent tribute to Bill’s contribution to his family, who carry his memory with pride, to his community and to his country he served with honour. Congratulations to Bill’s extended relatives, including Ange Matthews, Geoff Lee, Tony Matthews and the Phillip Island RSL president Peter Paul, Bob Woods, Lawrence Buck, Michael Crump and Michael Reardon, who presented in official World War One uniform at the time. Lest we forget.