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Situated outside Scots Church, corner of York and Jamison sts., Central Sydney (and within a comfortable Cooee of the Transvaal Gun guarding Sydney Harbour) is an obelisk of polished red granite: marking the death in action of Lt. Gideon GRIEVE, Permanent Staff, NSW Land Forces - attached as Special Service officer with 2nd Bn., Black Watch.

Herewith his portrait:



Following service with 1st Bn., NSW Scottish Rifle Regt., (and as Staff Adjudant, 6th Regt., Australian Rifles), 1st Lt.Grieve volunteered for SA service in 10/99 and initially served as RTO at Cape Town. Subsequent to Black Week, he was posted to the Black Watch as replacement Company Commander, "T" Company 2/BW. He served at the action at Koodosberg Drift 03021900 and was killed in action whilst leading his company in the most gallant circumstances at Paardeburg on 18021900. The medal roll of 2nd Bn., Black Watch indicates his QSA medal would have carried the clasps "Cape Colony" and "Paardeburg" when it was sent to his NofK. He was Mentioned in Despatches twice; LGs of 08021901 and 16041901.
Herewith the obelisk's main inscription:




And that on the base:



There are several entries concerning the career of this most gallant Gentlemen on the internet - and I acknowledge having borrowed from several of them.
Regards to all interested
IL.

IL
Thank you for showing a remarkable monument to a remarkable man in a surprising place.
Regards
Brett

Fantastic Monument and tells his whole story.....

Thanks for Posting.....

Mike

Well spotted and well told thanks Ian. I will take the time to find and reflect when I am next in Sydney.

Stephen

Hello Ian,
That is very simple yet really quite magnificent in it's own right, I dare say it would have been rather expensive when it was created, has it always been in the same place, it has certainly stood the test of time anyway.
Kind regards Frank

LinneyI wrote: Forum members
Situated outside Scots Church, corner of York and Jamison sts., Central Sydney (and within a comfortable Cooee of the Transvaal Gun guarding Sydney Harbour) is an obelisk of polished red granite: marking the death in action of Lt. Gideon GRIEVE, Permanent Staff, NSW Land Forces - attached as Special Service officer with 2nd Bn., Black Watch.

Herewith his portrait:

Following service with 1st Bn., NSW Scottish Rifle Regt., (and as Staff Adjudant, 6th Regt., Australian Rifles), 1st Lt.Grieve volunteered for SA service in 10/99 and initially served as RTO at Cape Town. Subsequent to Black Week, he was posted to the Black Watch as replacement Company Commander, "T" Company 2/BW. He served at the action at Koodosberg Drift 03021900 and was killed in action whilst leading his company in the most gallant circumstances at Paardeburg on 18021900. The medal roll of 2nd Bn., Black Watch indicates his QSA medal would have carried the clasps "Cape Colony" and "Paardeburg" when it was sent to his NofK. He was Mentioned in Despatches twice; LGs of 08021901 and 16041901.
Herewith the obelisk's main inscription:

And that on the base:

There are several entries concerning the career of this most gallant Gentlemen on the internet - and I acknowledge having borrowed from several of them.
Regards to all interested
IL.

Frank, Mike, Brett and Stephen
Thanks for the kind comments. The obelisk was "recently restored" (date uncertain); however it has stood at the same location since erection. I am personally well aware of it and it's location.
Lt.Grieve was held in very high regard in Colonial NSWales; being a solicitor of note and - of course - prominent in the Volunteers. According to the Cumberland and Argus Advocate edition of 07/03/1900, a military service in memory of Lt. Grieve, formerly of Parramatta, was held at Sydney Town Hall with some six thousand people present. The large attendance might be partly explained by local interest in the war, as well as a tribute to a prominent local identity. Remember, Ladysmith and Kimberley had recently been relieved and Mafeking was quite a while from the same outcome.
The preacher at the service for Lt. Grieve said "Honours were heaped upon the living, the Victoria Cross awaited those who survived and had performed noble deeds of valour, but there were no honours for the dead and it was therefore but right that they should hold a memorial service to perpetuate the memory of an honourable, brave and efficient soldier".
There is a further memorial to Lt. Gideon Grieve; situated on the clifftop at Watson's Bay and constructed in 1900 as a drinking fountain. It was surmounted by a statue in Black Watch uniform. Sadly, the statue was destroyed by vandals "many years ago". When I get the chance, I will post a pic of that on this thread. Lt.Grieve's name is also recorded on a memorial at Gruisbank cemetary, South Africa under the heading of "Royal Australian Army" (sic).

I cannot think of a better few words to end this post than those of the famous OZ storyteller and poet, Banjo Patterson. Banjo, as a matter of interest, once lived "just down the road" from IL. Banjo was an accredited War Correspondent at the front who knew Lt. Grieve and, after hearing of his death in action wrote "That a Braver and Better Man never wore a kilt".

Stephen, when you are next in Sydney, perhaps we might spend a moment at the Grieve Memorial and have a walk down to the Transvaal Gun Guarding Sydney Harbour. Any others would of course be welcome.
Regards
IL.