The Riddells Creek Lions Club received an award for its efforts in repairing the war memorial gate at the entrance to the Riddells Creek Recreation Reserve.
The club was honoured with a Lions Russel Eastwood Best Club Project Award for co-ordinating repairs to the wrought iron gate, its bluestone pillars, and the surrounding garden beds.
Club secretary Melanie Kinsey, who was instrumental in the project, said the origin of the historic gate is unknown.
“Romsey and Gisborne have got the same memorial gates to their recreation reserves. So, it must have been a bit of a thing in the 1950s to commemorate World War II and those who [had] fallen … all three towns have very similar gates,” Ms Kinsey said.
“I applied for the grant from the government … the grant from the government fixed the gates, and then I got another grant from Greater Western Water to fix the garden beds that were constructed around the gates.”
She said the gates were damaged about 25 years ago after a car accident, with an expert who assessed repairs at the time proposing that it could have been built in England and then donated to the reserve by a local resident.
The club received an embroidered patch as part of the award, which is now displayed on the club’s banner.
Oscar Parry
