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Description & History

Building of the Church of Christ in Dawson Street commenced in 1913 and it opened for worship the following year. The Argus reported that a window in honour of the 47 men from the Church of Christ congregation who enlisted, sixteen of whom died in the conflict, was unveiled by the Chief Secretary, Major Baird in June 1920.

Of the sixteen who lives their lives in the 1914-18 war, one was Harry, the youngest son of Wallace William Ramage and his wife, Mary. Three brothers enlisted; the eldest, also named Wallace William, was a 24 year-old telegraph assistant and living in Coburg when he joined up on 17 August 1914. He was to land at Anzac Cove with the 6 Battalion on 25 April 1915. The youngest of the three sons, 19 year-old Henry Heaford, enlisted on the 10 July 1915 following his older brother into 6 Battalion, although he transferred to 1 Pioneers on 12 March 1916. Rodney Beresford Ramage aged 24 followed about a month later into reinforcements for 14 Batttlion. All three young men were wounded in the fighting, although Wallace was most severely injured when he suffered gunshot wounds to his face and to the right leg, the latter causing his repatriation to Australia. Rodney, promoted to Sergeant, was awarded the Military Medal for his 'bravery in the field', gazetted in London 15 June 1917 only a few months before his brother Harry was killed in action in Belgium, on 29 September 1917. Henry Ramage was buried at Belgian Battery Corner , a mile south-west of Ypres.

References & Acknowledgements

AWM Roll of Honour; AWM Awards and Honours; NAA: B2455, Ramage, Wallace William; NAA: B2455, Ramage, Rodney Beresford; NAA: B2455, Ramage, Henry Heaford; Argus, 22 June 1920, p.8; Graeme Chapman, Ballarat Churches of Christ 1859-1993, CCTC, Mulgrave, c1993, pp.127-128 and p.214.