In August 1914, Len Everitt, aged 20 became the pride of the Heidelberg Shire when he won the five mile handicap race at the local athletes’ meet. In 1915 he was still the pride of Heidelberg. Quarter-Master Sgt Len Everitt became the first Heidelberg man to be killed in what was to become known as The Great War. He was killed on the beach at Gallipoli on April 25, 1915, a date that became known as Anzac Day.
His death sent shock waves through the community when it still had much of a country-town feeling.
Hundreds packed St James Anglican Church in Ivanhoe for his memorial service. Later that year the church dedicated a stained glass window in his name.
Len’s name appears on the Ivanhoe War Memorial, City of Banyule.
Photo: Ivanhoe War Memorial (2017) Photographer: Kev Howlett. Yarra Plenty Regional Library
The names appearing on the Memorial are :
Family Name Initials Identified as
Anderson J McK Anderson, John McKenzie
Anderson T Anderson, Thomas
Bourchier E D Bourchier, Evelny Dennison
Brooke H C Brooke, Harold Clifford
Connolly A H Connolly, Alfred Henry
Coulson J C Coulson, John Charles
Davies A Davies, Alan Mervyn
Davies M Davies, HERBERT Martyn
Everitt L E Everitt, AVENAL LEONARD
Eltis R H M Eltis, Robert Harry Mervyn
Eades A Eades, Alfred Bailey
Fairweather F E Fairweather, Francis Edward
Fraser R N Fraser, Roy Newport
Frieberg V C Friberg, Victor Charles
Ferguson A E NOT TRACED, also on Ivanhoe Presbyterian Church Roll of Honour
Garratt R C Garratt, Reginald Charles
Groves K L Groves, Kilby Leslie
Hulme N R Hulme, Norman Roland
Hall V E Hall, Victor Ernest
Issell S G Issell, Sydney Graham
Irwin S F A Irwin, Frederick Stanley Anderson
Leckie W A Leckie, Walter Alan
Merz G P Merz, George Pinnock
Matthews F Matthews, Frederick William Hordern
Matthews A Matthews, Arthur Francis
Matthews H Matthews, Henry Hooper
Moon W Moon, William
Moffatt E Moffatt, Edward
Rolfe H J Rolfe, Henry James
Private Robert Scott, whose name is also on the memorial, was killed in the Gallipoli landing too. He was a member of Ivanhoe Football Club’s 1913 premiership team in the HDFA and was considered one of the district’s most promising young footballers. Here’s a link to the relevant history chapter on Ivanhoe AFC’s website.
link to ivanhoeafc.com