July 7, 2016
The names of many of the South Burnett’s heroes of World War I are engraved on monuments around the district … now they are also recorded forever in a book published by the South Burnett Regional Council as an Anzac Centenary project.
Funding for the publication came from the Federal Government’s Anzac Centenary Grants Program – via the three local electorates of Maranoa, Flynn and Wide Bay – but the hard work that turned an idea into reality came from two special local residents.
Daun Clapperton and Robyn Peterson spent hundreds of hours researching the contribution the South Burnett made to the Great War effort, recording names on monuments, searching war records and speaking to relatives.
Their efforts created the ‘Every Man Remembered” database which earned a commendation at the National Trust of Australia (Queensland) 2014 Heritage Awards and the receipt of one of only seven national RSL “Anzac Of The Year” awards.
This database forms the core of the new book, but added to this now are stories and photographs of individual veterans and information about the war.
Local school children were also encouraged to “adopt” soldiers to research and write about.
Mitchell Hunter, from Nanango, took up the task and wrote about his relative Private Jack Hunter who was killed just before the Battle of Polygon Wood near Ypres. Private Hunter’s body was not located until 2006.
Other stories were contributed by relatives of former South Burnett veterans.
Copies of the book will be donated to South Burnett schools and placed in local libraries.
Cr Ros Heit said copies of the book would also be available to purchase for $25 from the RSL Sub-Branches in Kingaroy, Murgon, Wondai, Nanango and Blackbutt.
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