In November 1917 Maldon was bitterly divided over the question of military conscription. On 28 November the Tarrangower Times reported that the Maldon Anti-Conscription League had constructed a 20-foot long sign reading ‘VOTE NO’ on a hill off Parkins Reef Road.
The sign was made of large whitewashed stones on the property of the League’s president, Cr William Preece. It could be seen for many miles away.
After a majority voted ‘No’ in the plebiscite, both nationally and in Maldon, the sign remained as a memorial to the anti-conscription campaign.
In May 1918 the sign gained national attention when visiting soldiers made two attempts to blow it up. After each incident the Anti-Conscription League rebuilt it. The sign was vandalised and repaired on at least two further occasions.
It was still in place in May 1919 when Catholic Archbishop Daniel Mannix visited Maldon and congratulated the town on its stand against conscription.
In January 1941, starting in Belgium, the Allied Forces adopted the ‘V for Victory’ sign as an emblem of resistance to German expansion.
In July 1941 British Prime Minister Winston Churchill gave his support to the movement and started to use his famous ‘V for victory’ hand sign.
In Maldon a group of boys at the Baptist Sunday School picked up on the idea and in early September 1941, under the supervision of Reg Rewell, went to Preece’s Hill where they whitewashed and rearranged the stones.
The boys formed them into a giant ‘V’, 60 foot high and 30 foot wide. At the time the sign could be seen from 20 miles away. Soon after Colin McArthur photographed the sign.
He then had postcards printed that he donated as a fundraiser to the local War Relief Fund.
In more recent years the ‘V’ sign has been restored. In about 2003 it was repainted and a small ‘150’ was added below the sign to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Maldon’s founding.
Later the ‘150’ was changed to ‘100’ and a red poppy was added to commemorate the centenary of the Gallipoli Landing.
The sign is an historic reminder of Maldon’s involvement in both World Wars.
This information was supplied by the Maldon Museum and Archives.
This article appeared in the Tarrangower Times, 13 January 2023.
