Poppy Project

‘Avion’ means aeroplane in French. 

Avion Way was the location of the Royal Australian Air Force facility (formerly Claremont Drill Hall) and was known for the De Havilland 100 Vampire A79-36 jet aircraft in the forecourt from 1962.

Recognises a young man from Claremont who lost his life in the Vietnam War.

Second Lieutenant Brian Geoffrey Walker Lane (1947 – 1969) attended Swanbourne Primary School and Hollywood High School.

He wanted to become a soldier from an early age and was the youngest officer in the Australian Army (after initially lying about his age when he was 17 to enlist).

Walker had a wife and newborn daughter when he was shot in March 1969.

He was 21 years old.

Named after Edward James Jospeh Judge (1890 – 1941) a Claremont businessman, councillor and naval engineer.

Engineer Lieutenant Judge served in the Royal Australian Navy in Malta in WWI.

He later served as a Claremont Municipal Councillor from 1934-1939 and was elected Mayor in 1939.

Judge did not seek re-election as Mayor to enlist in the Royal Australian Naval Reserve in WWII and died in 1941.

Named for Max Kott (1891 – 1976), who served in the Australian Imperial Force’s (AIF) 11th Battalion in WWI.

He was promoted several times during his service, ultimately to Warrant Officer.

In 1919 Kott was the founding partner of law firm Kott Gunning (which operated for 102 years, until 2021) and served on the Claremont Council for 26 years from 1927.

Recognises a young man from Claremont who lost his life in the Vietnam War.

Corporal John David Needs (1946 – 1969) attended Swanbourne Primary School and Scotch College before working as a clerk at Drabbles Hardware on Bay View Terrace.

Needs enlisted in 1965 and was one of several young men killed in 1969 by a land mine.

At the time of his death, Needs was trying to evacuate his mates. This incident was immortalised in Redgum’s iconic song “I was only 19”.

The street was settled during the interwar period and named after the HMS Renown, the lead ship of her class of Royal Navy battle cruisers.

While not involved in direct combat during WWI, the Renown patrolled the North Sea.

After the war the ship transported the Prince of Wales to Australia in 1920 and later transported Winston Churchill and his staff to conferences with Allied leaders.

During WWII HMS Renown participated in the Norwegian campaign, the search for the Bismark, Operation Torch and spent much time escorting convoys in Gibraltar.

Born in England, Charles Owen Leaver Riley was Bishop of Perth for over 30 years.

He was appointed Anglican Chaplain General of the Australian Imperial Force in WWI.

In 1916, the people of Claremont presented the colours (flag) to the newly formed 44th Battalion at the Claremont Showgrounds. 

Archbishop Riley was there to address the troops and to remind them to “spare no effort to see that their colour never fall into the hands of the enemy”.

Remembers the 1918 Battle of St Quentin Canal on the Western Front.

It was the final battle for ‘Claremont’s Own’ 44th Battalion, which was raised in Claremont.

On 19 January 1925 resident George Pearson suggested to Claremont Council that Diver Street be changed to St Quentin Avenue in memory of all those who lost their lives at the Battle of St Quentin Canal.

Twenty-five members of the 44th Battalion died at that pivotal battle breaching the Hindenburg line, including George’s brother Horace.