Bronze memorial plaques marking the graves of First World War veterans and early settlers at Balmoral Cemetery are increasingly at risk, as plaque thefts surge across Brisbane and erase pieces of the city’s history.
Plaque thefts across Brisbane skyrocketed 140 percent last year—an increase fueled by record-high global copper prices—with 19 bronze plaques disappearing
The thefts represent more than just missing metal. For Morningside residents, they threaten tangible connections to local history, including at Balmoral Cemetery where bronze plaques mark the graves of First World War veterans, prominent politicians, and early settlers who helped build the suburb.
Between 2020 and 2022, just 11 plaques went missing across Brisbane, according to Brisbane City figures. That number jumped to 31 between 2023 and 2025, with last year alone accounting for 19 thefts. The replacements cost around $8,000, with Brisbane working alongside the National Servicemen’s Association of Australia. The historical value lost, however, cannot be measured in dollars.
Why Bronze Plaques Are Targeted
Waste Recycling Industry Queensland noted that legitimate metal recyclers can identify stolen plaques, as pieces bearing engravings about historical figures or events clearly originate from memorials or public monuments. However, a black market in scrap metal drives these thefts, with bronze plaques valued for their metal content.
Recent incidents at Queensport Rocks Park in Murarrie saw plaques commemorating the Duke of Edinburgh’s opening of the Gateway Bridge and the park’s 2011 opening disappear over the Christmas-New Year period. The Department of Transport and Main Roads confirmed no scheduled maintenance required their removal and is investigating the circumstances.
Balmoral Cemetery at Risk
For Morningside, Balmoral Cemetery represents irreplaceable local history. Established in 1874, the site holds approximately 15,000 interments spanning 150 years, with bronze plaques marking the graves of First World War veterans, prominent politicians, and early settlers.
The Friends of Balmoral Cemetery has worked since 2001 to identify and mark nearly 400 people buried there who served during the First World War. When plaques go missing, the immediate physical link to these stories is severed.
While digital archives may exist, the on-site markers that allow families and historians to identify specific plots are often impossible to replicate once the original commissioning organizations have folded.
Bronze memorial plaques at Balmoral mark individual graves, commemorate collective service, and provide information for families researching their ancestry.
Former journalist Peter Doherty, who drove the Channel 7 Flashback history segment, called the incidents the literal theft of Brisbane’s history. Many plaques will never be recreated because original details and the organisations responsible for them have been lost over time.
The Impact on Communities
Metal theft affects infrastructure well beyond memorial sites across Queensland. During Tropical Cyclone Koji recovery efforts earlier this month, copper wiring was stolen from affected areas, disrupting emergency communications when communities needed them most. While cemetery thefts rob communities of their past, thefts during disaster recovery directly endanger the living.
For cemeteries like Balmoral, the impact goes deeper than infrastructure damage. Each missing plaque represents a family’s connection to their history and a community’s link to the people who shaped it.
Unlike stolen copper wire that can be replaced, historical plaques often contain information that no longer exists anywhere else. In a bid to deter ‘scrap-shopping,’ BCC is increasingly opting for etched aluminum or synthetic composites.
While these materials lack the prestige of bronze, they carry negligible resale value, though the transition still costs ratepayers approximately $8,000 annually.
What These Thefts Mean for Morningside
Bronze plaques were chosen for Brisbane’s memorials because they stand the test of time, creating visible links to the city’s story and places for reflection intended to last for generations. When these markers disappear, the community loses the touchstones of its shared identity.
Protecting these sites now requires a combination of community vigilance and stricter oversight of the scrap metal trade to ensure Brisbane’s history isn’t sold for parts.
Published 29-January-2026.
