Our Memorial
Wall of Remembrance
An important part of the Memorial Precinct is The Wall of Remembrance. It was dedicated on 23 May 2015 and enables families to sponsor plaques in honour of those local ex-service personnel and North Beach Sub-Branch members who are no longer with us.
The Memorial Warden is responsible on behalf of our Sub-Branch for the Charles Riley Memorial Precinct and the Wall of Remembrance.
President John Rolfe is currently the Memorial Warden and coordinates all matters relating to our Memorial and the Memorial precinct.
For more information to sponsor a Plaque, contact:
John Rolfe, President North Beach RSL Sub Branch 0439 934 036
Trevor McEntyre, Secretary North Beach RSL Sub-Branch 0447 730 911
Plaques on our Wall of Remembrance
This Plaque Reads:
REDICATION OF CHARLES OWEN RILEY
RSL MEMORIAL PRECINCT
THIS MEMORIAL PRECINCT IS REDEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF
CHARLES OWEN RILEY, A TROOPER IN THE 2/3RD AUSTRALIAN
COMMANDO SQUADORN IN WORLD WAR TWO.
HE GAVE HIS LIFE ON 3RD SEPTEMBER 1954 ATTEMPTING TO RESCUE THREE GIRLS CAUGHT IN A HEAVY UNDERTOW AT WATERMAN’S BAY.
HIS NAME IS PERPETUATED IN THE RESERVE THAT WAS FIRST DEDICATED TO HIM BY HIS FATHER, BISHOP C.L. RILEY ON SATURDAY 23RD AUGUST 1958. THE MEMORIAL OBELISK WAS ORIGINALLY ERECTED IN MAY 1989 APPROXIMATELY 120 METERS SOUTH WEST OF THIS POINT ADJACENT TO OUR LADY OF GRACE CHURCH.
A MEMORIAL DEDICATION SERVICE WAS HELD AT THAT SITE ON THE
31ST MARCH 2000 AFTER RENOVATIONS AND THE ADDITION OF A ROSE GARDEN.
REDEDICATED BY
THE REVEREND MARIE AITKEN
ST MICHAEL & ALL ANGELS ANGLICAN CHURCH, NORTH BEACH AT THE CURRENT SITE ON 23RD MAY 2015
PLAQUE UNVEILED BY
COUNCILLOR GIOVANNIE ITALIANO JP
MAYOR OF THE CITY OF STIRLING
LEST WE FORGET
Our Memorial is located within the Charles Riley Reserve on the corner North Beach Road and Kitchener Street, North Beach.
The Reserve is named after Charles Owen Riley, who at the age of 32, was drowned when going to the aid of three girls being caught in an undertow at Waterman during 1954.
He was a member of the 2/3rd Commando Unit in World War 2, a taxi truck operator and lived with his wife and two children in West Coast Highway, Waterman.
His father, Archbishop Riley, dedicated the Reserve on 23 September 1958. The North Beach Sub-Branch had considerable correspondence with the Perth Roads Board (now the Stirling Council) in recommending the dedication to the memory of Charles Riley, a popular citizen of the North Beach locality.
Left: Main Memorial Plaque
Right: Lower Memorial Plaque
The Lone Pine Tree
The Lone Pine overlooks the Wall of Remembrance.
The Plaque reads:
This Pine Tree which was seeded from The Lone Pine at Gallipoli is dedicated to the men and women who made the supreme sacrifice in defence of their country and who were members of
NORTH BEACH SUB BRANCH
Lest We Forget
Our Memorial is listed on the following sites:
Australian War Memorial Places of Pride National Register of War Memorial on This Link
Virtual War Memorials Australia on This Link. This is a Virtual Site and also provides us with the opportunity to include our Members’ stories from all conflicts.