Memorial to Frenchs Forest namesake rescued from wrecking ball

The headstone of a northern beaches pioneer will be saved thanks to the efforts of the monumental stonemason team at Crown land manager and cemeteries operator, Metropolitan Memorial Parks (MMP). 

On Tuesday, MMP’s monumental stonemasons will attend Forest High School and remove the monument of James French (1817 – 1893) from the auditorium wall where it has been displayed for more than 50 years. French was the police constable and Crown ranger after whom Frenchs Forest is named. 

With the school set to be demolished and relocated to make way for housing, the school engaged MMP to help preserve this important part of northern beaches history. The monument will be temporarily relocated to the Local Studies section of Lane Cove Library awaiting possible repair and repatriation. 

“As a Crown cemeteries operator, we are committed to not only servicing the burial and cremation needs of our community but doing our part to preserve our history and heritage,” MMP CEO, Denise Ora, said. 

“James French was a pioneer, police officer, and a timber feller. Just like all Australians, he deserves to have his monument safely and appropriately memorialised.” 

The removal and relocation of French’s headstone is being done as part of MMP’s Monument Safety & Conservation Program, an initiative designed to preserve and improve the safety of monuments at memorial parks, cemeteries and in the community. 

In 2025 alone, the MMP monumental stonemason team completed works on over 250 monuments in both the community and across our eight memorial parks in Sydney and Newcastle. Notable projects include repairs to the Gundagai War Memorial, statues at the Norman Lindsay Gardens, and monuments at St Thomas Rest Park. 

The program is led by MMP Heritage Stonemason Specialist Sach Killam, who will supervise the removal and relocation of French’s headstone on Tuesday 16 December. 

“Monuments can be located anywhere, from schools to cemeteries, so it’s important that the community monitor their condition and let us know when we can help.” Mr Killam said. 

“We stand ready to repair the headstone as well. This would likely involve the installation of hidden pins to fix fractures and hand-carved insets to match the missing stone.” 

James French was interred at Pioneers' Memorial Reserve in Lane Cove North however his headstone was relocated to Forest High School in the late 1960s or early 1970s for safekeeping following an act of vandalism. 

Lane Cove Council – which manages the reserve where French is currently interred – will now consider the best form of long-term solution for the headstone. 

Local councils which require assistance with the maintenance of their monuments can contact Metropolitan Memorial Parks by navigating to our website located at www.metropolitanmemorialparks.com.au.