General News
8 July, 2025
The story behind Jeparit’s Menzies Spire
People in Jeparit are used to seeing Menzies Spire towering above the town and the recreation reserve but how did this landmark come into being?
People in Jeparit are used to seeing Menzies Spire towering above the town and the recreation reserve but how did this landmark come into being?
Jeparit’s Showgrounds and Recreation Reserve were created in 1908, but in 1963, the decision was made to rename this precinct ‘Sir Robert Menzies Park’ to honour the Jeparit-born Prime Minister who, by then, had led the nation for sixteen years.
Initially the plan was to have an arch erected at the entrance to the Park and a competition was launched for the design.
The arch would span the entrance, allowing two lanes of traffic to pass beneath it.
People of all ages and from anywhere were encouraged to submit designs, with the winning designer to receive $5, donated by Mr C. Leyonhjelm, M.B.E.
However, there was a two-year delay in the design being chosen, as the committee had opened up the competition to universities, technical schools, and metalworking firms, as well as architects and engineers.
All designs submitted had to be investigated and costed by the committee.
A variety of designs were submitted: archways, gates, pillars, shells and domes. In all, 60 designs were submitted.
The winning design of the memorial – a 70-foot tall spire – was by Mr M. Earle, an engineer of South Melbourne.
While Mr Earle won the $5 prize for his design, he elected to donate it to the spire’s building fund.
The estimated cost of the spire was $1,500, which was to be raised entirely by public donations, with an additional $500 towards paths, kerbing and channelling being borne by the Dimboola Shire Council.
The community mobilised to raise the funds with people around Pepper’s Plain, Tarranyurk, Lorquon, Ellam and Jeparit doorknocking for donations.
In July 1965 a model of the winning design was displayed in the new Supper Room at the Memorial Hall.
The Spire was constructed by McNeil’s in Horsham.
It was made from several one-ton sections of steel which were welded together on site.
The Spire’s components arrived in Jeparit in May 1966, almost a year after the design had been selected.
There were, however, difficulties in constructing the brass, fibreglass-covered thistle to be placed atop the spire.
The thistle was to be illuminated by a powerful spotlight inside the base of the column.
In addition to the Spire, the works included the existing Forecourt constructed of Besser bricks along with a new Ticket Booth at the Park’s entrance.
The memorial was in place by September 1966 and formally unveiled on 18 September with a large throng of people attending including Sir Robert and Dame Pattie Menzies and members of their family.
A lengthy tribute was paid to Sir Robert’s illustrious political career which was published in full in the
In addition, Sir Robert Menzies made a recording specifically for the students of his old school.
While the commemorative Spire remains towering over Jeparit today, in 2024 the thistle suffered significant damage, almost sixty years after it had been put in place.