As the re-enactment of one of the most significant WWI recruiting marches through southern NSW draws near, the Wallendbeen Kangaroo March organising committee are appealing for help from across the district in providing the historical background and human context for the event.
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The march will arrive at Wallendbeen on Sunday, September 13, where Governor General Sir Peter Cosgrove will inspect the troops.
“We are now looking for as much information as possible about the men whose names appear on the honour roll at the Wallendbeen Hall,” organising committee member Mike Baldry said.
“We’d like to find out what happened to them so that we can also understand the impact of war on those families and the community.”
He said that committee members have been researching the resources of the Australian War Memorial, the AIF and other online archives.
They have accessed basic service details for local men, but want to broaden their knowledge.
The committee would welcome more information and local input, whether it relates to family members, memorabilia or historical records.
“We’re interested in understanding why the men enlisted, and also what happened to them. Did they survive the war? How did they cope with life afterwards? Some of them may have been given soldier settlement blocks, for example, or have been injured in a way the affected them for the rest of their lives,” Mike said.
Photographs from the time and digital images from the War Memorial’s collection will also be on display.
The Memorial and the National Library both have substantial collections of material related to Colonel (later General) Kenneth Mackay, who was responsible for recruiting an army reserve at the time and had raised the first Australian volunteer cavalry troop.
“We’ll have images of his sword and sabre, part of his kit and also photographs of the Light Horse,” Mike said.
Governor General Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson inspected the original Kangaroo March volunteers at Wallendbeen in 1915 as a guest of Colonel Mackay.
The present Governor General, Sir Peter Cosgrove, is keen to re-trace his predecessor’s footsteps when he visits the village.
He will be joined by retired General Paul Stevens who will assist with official duties.
General Stevens followed his service command in artillery by serving on the Repatriation Commission, the statutory authority responsible for supporting Australian veterans.
He later became the Director of the Office of Australian War Graves.
The re-enactment begins at midday as the marchers leave the Wallendbeen cemetery.
The march continues to the Wallendbeen cenotaph for the commemorative service and thence to the Wallendbeen Oval, where the Governor General will take the eyes right salute.
The Cootamundra Pony Club and Federation Guard will both take part in the formal inspection.
There will be plenty of other historical references: the hunt is on for farm and other heavy machinery from the era while Wallendbeen and Stockinbingal school children are practising music from the time and other pieces composed especially for the re-enactment.
A producers’ fair showcasing the district will also be held on the Wallendbeen Oval throughout the day.
If you would like to contribute your family memories or historical material for the display, contact Mike Baldry on (02) 6386 6253.
Further details, please contact David Jacobs (02) 6943 2621, or wallendbeenmarch@gmail.com.
