A new book honouring the lives of Murringo soldiers who served during World War I will be officially launched at the town’s Remembrance Day ceremony on Sunday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Marengo Boys Answer The Call was written by historian and Murringo resident Tricia Mack.
It acknowledges the lives of more than 40 soldiers who fought during the first World War.
Mrs Mack said she is hugely proud to release the book.
READ ALSO: Time Warp Tuesday photos
“It means everything. These boys are so important to me, I have no idea why. It’s just been a real thing for me because I’ve been helping with Anzac Day for the last six years,” Tricia Mack said.
“The supper room building [in Murringo] was built around 1880 and it was where they held the farewell dinners for the boys before they went off to war. If you stand in there and start talking about it you really get a feeling that they’re there.”
The idea for the book was thought of around the time of Anzac Day in 2015 when the newly built Murringo cenotaph was unveiled in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of troops landing at Anzac Cove.
“That was when I thought wouldn’t it be nice at the 100th anniversary of the end of the war to a write a story about those boys that are on the cenotaph. So it all started back then and it moved along and moved along and has been produced,” Mrs Mack said.
Former local Neil Gow contributed a few chapters on soldiers who received awards and soldiers who were wounded or killed.
Mrs Mack covered the Murringo boys’ berth places, who their parents are, family and how they are connected to Murringo.
READ ALSO: Knife wielding man arrested in Young
While at times it was difficult to find information, and time consuming to double check everything was correct, Ms Mack is proud to say it’s now available.
“I’m really pleased to release this book. It just helps finish off having the cenotaph and now having the story about them.”
And you might be wondering why in the title Murringo is spelled Marengo.
“Because it was spelled like that when they went to war that’s what we decided to go with,” Mrs Mack said.
The book was helped made possible by funding received from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Saluting Their Service Commemorative Grant.
The book will be available at the Murringo Markets on Sunday and from Taubman and Webb Trading Post.
