The Women Behind Ballarat’s Arch of Victory (1920)
The Women Behind Ballarat’s Arch of Victory (1920)
Ballarat’s Arch of Victory is a familiar landmark. Behind it is the story of local women whose work helped create a lasting memorial to wartime service.
The Story Behind the Scene
Workers at the E. Lucas and Co. clothing factory, widely known as the Lucas Girls, helped drive the memorial project. Their effort included the Avenue of Honour and fundraising for the arch.
The avenue commemorated people from Ballarat and the surrounding district who enlisted in the First World War. Its trees gave individual service a lasting place in the landscape.
The Prince of Wales opened the arch in June 1920. The landmark became a gateway to the avenue and a public expression of remembrance after the war.
What You’re Seeing in This Photograph
The historic photograph shows the Golf House building beside the arch. Trees and later changes soften the modern view, but the arch still anchors the comparison. The view is about the setting as well as the memorial itself.
Why This Photo Matters
The photographs show the scale of a local effort that outlasted the people who began it. The arch remembers service, while its origins also preserve the contribution of the women who helped make it possible.
Historical photograph: Rose Series, c.1920 to 1940, State Library Victoria, H32492:2540. Modern photograph: Julian Varricchio.
Sources: City of Ballarat; Australian War Memorial, Places of Pride