September 15, 2014
Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss dropped into Murgon State High School this morning to announce funding for $4982 to go towards the South Burnett Regional Council’s Centenary of Anzac book project.
Year 9 students at a number of South Burnett schools are researching local World War I soldiers with the assistance of RSL sub-branches.
The results of their work will be assessed and the best selected for publishing in a special commemorative book.
A group of Year 9 Murgon students who will be doing the research as part of a major history assignment met the Deputy PM at a morning tea.
Amongst them were several students who are descendants of World War I diggers.
Hughie Alberts, from Murgon, hopes to do his assignment on his ancestor Vincent Frederick Law, one of the many Aboriginal soldiers who served during the conflict.
Rachel Bryen said one of her relatives – an Acworth from the Kumbia area – also served during the Great War.
Mr Truss said his great-uncle, Jacob Truss, was killed in action in France in 1918.
The Kumbia farmer “thought it would be a great adventure”.
“He just wanted to get off his farm and see the world. Sadly he was killed in France. He is buried in a little town smaller than Kumbia.”
Mr Truss said he was looking forward to seeing the book when it was completed.
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