It may be a record for a suburb. They were not all born here but they all made Balmain home.
Check out the new landscaping and memorial plaques at Loyalty Place, outside Woolworths.
It recognises that four Balmain designated soldiers were awarded Victoria Crosses.
They are:
James Gorman VC (1854):
An English-born sailor who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his immense bravery at the Battle of Inkerman during the Crimean War. Later in life, he migrated to Australia and became a well-regarded figure in Balmain while working as a foreman on Cockatoo Island and Spectacle Island.
Lance Corporal John William Alexander Jackson VC (1916):
Awarded the VC during World War I, Jackson was the youngest ever Australian recipient of the medal (at just 18 years old) and the first Australian to be recognised with it on the Western Front.
Private William Matthew Currey VC (1918):
Earned his Victoria Cross for actions in France during World War I. He lived in the local area after the war and went on to become the first VC recipient to sit in the New South Wales Parliament.
Lieutenant Albert Edward Chowne VC, MM (1945):
Born in Balmain in 1920, Chowne was a posthumous recipient of the Victoria Cross during World War II for his outstanding leadership and bravery during an assault in New Guinea.
According to the original Royal Warrant and modern frameworks, a recipient must satisfy three strict requirements:
- Conspicuous Gallantry: The individual must display the “most conspicuous bravery” or perform a pre-eminent, daring act of valour.
- Presence of the Enemy: The action must take place during wartime, active operations, and specifically in the direct face of an enemy.
- Extreme Devotion to Duty: The act usually involves significant self-sacrifice, risking one’s own life to save comrades or protect a vital position.
Only 102 VCs have been awarded.
To have one VC winner in a suburb is an honour. To have four is extraordinary.
