The memorial will feature a list of names dating back to as early as 1902 and will commemorate the contributions of the workers who perished throughout the site’s long and storied history, including those who lost their lives in the associated nearby lime quarries.

Members from the Portland Tidy Town Committee first applied for the grant in April 2014 and were elated when they received confirmation of the grant in late December.

The grant was secured by Member for Bathurst Paul Toole under the NSW Government Community Building Partnership program which aims to enhance a sense of pride and history within local communities.

President of the Portland Tidy Towns Committee Roger Taig said the monument would serve as a reminder of Portland’s historical significance and the role Portland Cement played in the construction of Sydney during the early years right up until its closure in 1991.

“We felt that some recognition of the people who lost their lives during the construction of the Cement Works was necessary.   

Portland is known as the town that built Sydney and we thought it was important to honour the cultural heritage represented by the cement works to the broader Portland community,” he said.

At present there are 32 names listed for the memorial, with total numbers expected to reach around 70.

Portland Tidy Towns will also be contributing further funding for the project which is expected to cost approximately $15,000 to complete.

AWJ Civil, the engineering company who secured the property from previous owners Boral last year, were more than happy to accommodate the request and have granted the committee an as yet undisclosed piece of land for the project.

Tidy Towns are currently in talks with new owners AWJ Civil regarding the exact site of the memorial.

Early concept design ideas for the memorial hope to incorporate actual historical artefacts found on the cement works grounds.

“We wanted to re-purpose an existing structure or object on the site with real historical value to use in the creation of the memorial,” Mr Taig said.

The project is expected to be completed by early 2016 and will require extensive research using historical records and information from the local community.

To this end the Portland Tidy Towns Committee members are asking the community for their input and assistance throughout the process.

If you have any information, recommendations or objections regarding the project contact the Portland Tidy Towns publicity officer Kaylin Caddis on 6355 5557.