Edmondson VC Rest Area

At a Glance

About

The Edmondson VC Rest Area sits alongside the Federal Highway (M23) at Wollogorang, New South Wales, marking stop 12 of 20 on the Remembrance Driveway. Travelling between the Kibby VC Rest Area to the north and the Gratwick VC Rest Area to the south, this stop honours Corporal John Hurst 'Jack' Edmondson — the first Australian to be awarded the Victoria Cross in World War II. Born at Wagga Wagga on 8 October 1914 and raised on the family farm at Liverpool on the outskirts of Sydney, Edmondson enlisted in the 2/17th Infantry Battalion on 20 May 1940, following earlier service with the 4th Militia Battalion. By April 1941, his battalion was stationed at Tobruk with the 9th Division during the siege that would become one of Australia's most storied military stands. On the night of 13–14 April 1941, German forces broke through the Australian perimeter armed with heavy machine guns and mortars. Edmondson joined a small party of five privates and his commanding officer, Lieutenant Austin Mackell, in a bayonet charge to drive the enemy back. Despite sustaining severe wounds to the neck and stomach during the close-quarter fighting, he pressed on. Jack Edmondson died that same day, 14 April 1941, at Tobruk. He was 26 years old. His Victoria Cross was awarded posthumously, a recognition of extraordinary courage in the most desperate of circumstances. The rest area is open around the clock and is well suited to travellers making the full Remembrance Driveway journey. Facilities include toilets, drinking water, picnic tables, BBQs, and dedicated truck parking, making it a practical stop for both passenger vehicles and caravans. The setting provides a quiet moment away from the highway to reflect on the story commemorated here before continuing south along the Driveway.

Victoria Cross Recipient

Born 8 October 1914, Wagga Wagga, NSW. Died 14 April 1941, Tobruk, Libya.

Remembrance Driveway →

Stop 12 of 20 along the Remembrance Driveway

Facilities