Ralph Goode Reserve

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A reserve in the middle of Main Street, Lilydale? That's what the war memorial became in 2017. It was named the . Ralph, a Lilydale resident served as a stretcher bearer in World War One, enduring nine months at Gallipoli.

He was a returned soldier and was very active in community affairs being awarded an MBE in 1954. He died in 1961 and is buried in Lilydale cemetery. His biography is on an illustrated plaque in the reserve.



An obelisk dominates the centre of the reserve. One side of the obelisk commemorates all those from the district who served during WW1 & WW2. The other three sides list those who paid the supreme sacrifice in those conflicts.



Nearby is the barrel of a cannon. It has the date of 1843 stamped upon the barrel with the initials of VR under a crown. It can be assumed that it was built in 1843 during the reign of Queen Victoria, who ruled the British Empire from 1837 until her death in 1901.



There are two boulder mounted plaques around the reserve.
The poem, "For England" is on one boulder mounted plaque. The poem was published in 1914 and was written by James Burns, the son of the Rev. Hugh Burns, minister at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Lilydale. James served and died in Gallipoli.



The other plaque is a tribute to militia units who served in the Lilydale district.



A sandstone wall displays five bronze plaques remembering other places of conflict that Australia served in since WW2. They are Korea, Malaya, Borneo, Vietnam and the United Nations Peace Keeping Forces.



There is a dawn service here on every Anzac Day.

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