Teacher Sharon Mathieson discovered the school’s original World War I honour board at the Nowra RSL some years back.

“It was lost a long time ago, most likely donated at some point and we lost track of it. No one knew where it was,” she said.

“I’m not sure how it got there, but I took some of the year 6 students on an excursion to the Nowra RSL a few years ago and there it was among the memoirs.

“I thought it would be nice to have a replica done of it so we can have it hanging back up at the school again just in time for our Anzac celebrations.”

Ms Mathieson said it was only right for the board to stay at the RSL with the other World War I honour boards.

“We have been under way with the replica since the end of last year,” she said.

“One of my friends has made the wooden board, along with the Men’s Shed, and now I’m working with the Nowra Museum to get the names as correct as possible before finishing it off.

“It’s been a lot harder than I expected.”

The names of almost 200 students who went to war will be included.

One of those names was Private Reginald Cashman.

His daughter Norma Irwin still lives in Nowra and will help unveil the school’s honour board at the Nowra Public School Anzac celebrations.

It is believed Mrs Irwin may be the only living relative of one of the original Waratahs.

Mrs Irwin’s father volunteered for service at 21 years of age and took part in the march.

His diary, which is still in Mrs Irwin’s possession, told of the voyage to Europe, the action he was part of in France and the conditions in the trenches.

“He used to ride a pushbike to the front line delivering messages and mail,” she said.

A head wound, suffered at Fromelles in April 1918, saw him shipped back to London to King George Hospital for treatment.

“He was eventually shipped home,” she said.

“The wound left him with part of his face dead. It was like he couldn’t move his forehead.

“He never had a creased brow.”

The family still has the piece of shrapnel that caused the injury.