The Society sought funds to enable a plaque to be placed on the unmarked grave of William Gillies, who died in 1925 and is buried in Box Hill cemetery. He left the bulk of his estate, nearly £10,000, as a perpetual bequest to the schoolchildren of Victoria, to allow for the establishment of school bands/orchestras, to encourage reading aloud by the supply of books via circulating libraries, and for the encouragement of nature studies. The schools listed above are just some of the many schools that benefited from his generosity. The bequest continues to this day.
The Society believed his generosity should be acknowledged, in the form of a memorial plaque on his unmarked grave, and sought public help in raising the funds to enable this. Thank you to all who contributed, it is much appreciated.
The unveiling will take place at 11am on 13th September. We had planned to have the Secretary of the Education Department present to do the unveiling, but as he has taken indefinite leave, it will be done by the President of the Society, Helen Harris OAM. The grave is in the Presbyterian section of the cemetery, and pedestrian entry is best via the Rutland Road or Barcelona Street entries. Directional signage will be in place.
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