Henry Wade Memorial Plaque unveiled in Sunbury

Officials and members of the Sunbury community have gathered at The Village Green today to unveil a memorial plaque celebrating land surveyor Henry Wade. 

Hume City Mayor Cr Jarrod Bell was accompanied by the Member for Sunbury, Josh Bull MP and Surveyors-General Victoria to mark the special occasion. 

Wade worked as a land surveyor in Victoria in the 1800s, helping to establish the Victoria – South Australia border line, and passed away while surveying the Sunbury boundaries in 1854. 

It was these final works surveying Yangardook that have established Henry Wade as an important historical figure in Sunbury and surrounds. 

When it was reported in 2023 that a plaque dedicated to Wade’s works at Gap Road and Napier Street, Sunbury had been stolen, Council worked with Surveyors-General Victoria to have it replaced. 

With the cooperation of Henry Wade’s descendants, a new location was decided on for the memorial plaque to honour his work, making it more central for locals and visitors. 

Tuesday’s unveiling ceremony at the central Village Green location coincides with the 150th anniversary celebrations of the Institution of Surveyors Victoria, highlighting the important work surveyors do in creating the towns and cities people call home. 

Attendance at the plaque unveiling by the Wade family and Sunbury Family History and Heritage Society reflect the value Sunbury’s residents place on the town’s history, and Council is pleased this important piece of history has been restored to be celebrated for years to come. 

Quotes attributable to Hume City Mayor, Cr. Jarrod Bell: 

“Henry Wade holds an important place in Hume City’s history, a history which Council is deeply committed to preserving. 

“The restoration of the Henry Wade Memorial Plaque in the middle of Sunbury, where all can view it, honours Henry Wade’s legacy and enables us to reflect on the significance of his work in shaping the land we call home.”