Inscription

To the glory of God in honour of the men of St. Stephen's Mount Waverley who served & some of whom made the supreme sacrifice during the Great War 1914-1919 [Names of the men in scrolls held by angels]

Description & History

It appears that stained glass artist William Montgomery was already apprehensive about the commission for a window in the form of an Honour Roll in St. Stephen's Anglican Church, when he wrote to Mr. Coleman, the Hon. Secretary on 29 October 1920, listing by name all the men to be commemorated. He confirmed each name in block letters to ensure no errors occurred. The window was completed by January the following year, but Mr. Coleman was not satisifed and correspondence concerning the removal of mullions in the window opening and the illegibility of the lettering followed. The opening was originally a three-light, which the vestry wished to make into a single window, but not until after the stained glass had been delivered. The principal complaint was the style of lettering, which Montgomery insisted was chosen by the Vestry, in preference to the plain Roman style he had recommended. A threat of legal action from the secretary was met by Montgomery's assured response that he was in the right, as would be shown in court, should the church wish to waste their money in legal action. A resolution was soon found in which the cost of new lettering was met by the church, and concessions to provide a wire guard and to extend the window for the altered opening were offered by Montgomery. An account for £107.10.0 was forwarded to Mr. Coleman on 13 May 1921, and paid in full on 30 June.

References & Acknowledgements

Church of England Messenger, 3 September 1920, p.416; William Montgomery Letterbooks 4/956, 4/937, 4/934-35, 4/928-29, 4/926, 4/925, 4/915a, 4/913 NGA Research Collection Canberra ACT. Folio 153, Montgomery ledger William Montgomery Papers, State Library of Victoria.