Gary Fisher, from Brisbane, wore an Australian uniform at Cherbourg on Tuesday in remembrance of his great-grandfather Frank Fisher who served in the Light Horse during World War I
Private Frank Fisher served in the 11th Australian Light Horse Regiment (Photo: AWM)

April 25, 2015

South Burnett residents will gather at memorials and monuments all around the region today but there will be none prouder than the men and women who will be attending the opening of Cherbourg’s new Roll Of Honour Board this morning.

The board, at the Cherbourg memorial, incorporates the names of the 47 men from the then-Barambah Mission who served in World War I – at a time when they were living “under the Act”, shunned and not considered full citizens.

Sadly, when they came home, the discrimination continued – despite serving side-by-side with European Australians in the trenches, they were ordered back to the missions …

The Honour Board will be officially unveiled at 8:00am today, and the adjacent park will be renamed “Boys From Barambah Anzac Park”.

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South Burnett Anzac Day Activities

  • Blackbutt and Benarkin – Dawn Service at the Blackbutt Cenotaph at 4:27am; a gunfire breakfast at the Blackbutt RSL at 5:00am; a Commemoration Service at the corner of Muir and Douglas Sts at 11:00am followed by a wreath-laying at the Memorial.
  • Boondooma – Service at 9:00am at Boondooma Homestead.
  • Bunya Mountains – Service at 8:00am at the Lone Pine Tree diagonally opposite the National Parks office.
  • Cherbourg – Free fellowship breakfast near the War Memorial at 7:00am, followed by a commemoration service at 8:00am.
  • Cooyar – Street march from the Cooyar Memorial Hall to the war memorial at 9:45am, followed by a commemorative service at 10:00am.
  • Goomeri – March from Laurie Dickenson Park at 10:00am to the Goomeri Hall of Memory, and then a citizen’s commemoration service at the Hall at 10:15am followed by refreshments.
  • Hivesville – Dawn Service at 5:30am, followed by a breakfast in the Main Street park.
  • Kilkivan – Procession from the RSL Memorial at 10:00am to the Kilkivan Public Hall, followed by a citizen’s commemoration service at 10:30am and then refreshments.
  • Kingaroy – Dawn service at 4:28am at the Rotunda in Memorial Park. Pilgrimage to the war graves at Taabinga Cemetery at 8:00am. Anzac Day march will start at 10:00am outside the Kingaroy RSL Club and proceed to Memorial Park where a new statue will be unveiled at 10:45am, followed by a citizens’ observance at 11:00am.
  • Kumbia – Commemoration service at the flower garden at 8:40am followed by morning tea in the Kumbia Hall Supper Room. Later in the day, lunch will be available at the Kumbia Hotel along with live entertainment and two-up, and in the evening, a pig-on-a-spit dinner.
  • Maidenwell – Morning tea at Maidenwell Hall at 9:30am followed by an Anzac Day Memorial Service at the Maidenwell War Memorial at 10:30am.
  • Murgon – Fellowship at the Murgon Services Club from 4:45am, followed by a Dawn Service at the Murgon Cenotaph at 5:30am. Later in the morning there’ll be a commemorative parade at 9:45am (assembly starts at 9:00am) and a memorial service and wreath-laying ceremony at the cenotaph at 10:00am. Refreshments will be served in the Murgon Services Club after the memorial service.
  • Nanango –  Dawn Service at the Nanango War Memorial at 5:30am; a public pilgrimage to the War Service graves at Nanango Cemetery at 7:30am; and a commemoration service and wreath-laying at the Nanango War Memorial at 10:00am. This will be followed by an invitation-only fellowship in Taras Hall at the Nanango RSL at 11:15am.
  • Proston – Dawn Service at 5:30am at the RSL Rooms in Collingwood Street.
  • Widgee – Breakfast at the Widgee Memorial Hall at 7:00am, followed by a march and commemoration service at 8:30am at the Anzac Memorial on Gympie Woolooga Road.
  • Wondai – Dawn service at 5:00am and procession, commencing at the Wondai Post Office. This will be followed at 8:00am with a pilgrimage to the War Service graves at Wondai Cemetery; and then at 10:00am with a Commemoration Service, parade and wreath laying at the Wondai War Memorial.
  • Wooroolin – Memorial Service at 11:00am at the Memorial Hall.
  • Yarraman – Dawn service at the Cenotaph at 6:00am, followed by a Gunfire Breakfast for veterans, ex-service personnel and their partners at 6:30am. This will be followed by a pilgrimage to the War Service graves at the Yarraman Cemetery at 7:30am; and then later in the morning an Anzac Day March will assemble at John Street and proceed along Toomey Street to the Cenotaph. The march will start at 10:45am and will be followed by a Memorial Service and wreath-laying at 11:00am, then by community refreshments at the Yarraman Community Hall at noon.

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Private Arthur Murdock (or Murdoch), from Cherbourg, served with the 41st Battalion AIF during World War I (Photo: The Ration Shed)

The “Boys From Barambah”

The old Honour Board at Cherbourg contained the names of 27 men from the Great War, however, recent research shows 47 Aboriginal men from Cherbourg and the nearby region actually served.

Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Curtis Pitt visited Cherbourg on Tuesday to open a new exhibition at The Ration Shed Museum, “Boys from Barambah”, which pays tribute to these 47 Barambah men.

“These men showed great courage to volunteer during an era when Aboriginal people were not acknowledged,” Mr Pitt said.

“They did this at a time when they weren’t entitled to vote, couldn’t enter a public bar or buy property.

“And to add insult to injury, the Chief Protector of Aborigines garnisheed their (soldiers’) wages.

“It is very sad fact that many did not return home, and that included three men from Barambah.”

Ration Shed chairperson Sandra Morgan said the exhibition had been a year in the making with a lot of work from a dedicated team of Ration Shed workers and volunteers.

She said it finally provided the recognition that the Aboriginal Diggers deserved alongside all the other Australian men and women who served in World War I.

The “Boys From Barambah” is more than just a new exhibition; as part of the State Government-supported project, a book has been printed, a film made, educational resources developed for visiting school students and the Cherbourg Memory website has been extended with information about the “Black Diggers”.

The official launch of the “Boys From Barambah” project on Tuesday included a performance of traditional dancing by the Barambah Dancers and special songs.

Robert “Rocko” Langton and Steve Hart performed “Boys From Barambah”, written especially for the occasion by Rocko, and Clowry and Elizabeth Kennell sung “No More War”.

External links:

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More Photos From The Cherbourg Launch

“Boys From Barambah Anzac 100” committee chairman Uncle Eric Law with a medal belonging to his father, Trooper Vincent Law, who served during WWI
Aunty Lillian Gray, who compered the day’s activities, is the granddaughter of Frank Fisher
Anzac 100 committee members Jeanette Brown (4UM) and Sandra Morgan (Ration Shed)
Ration Shed videographer Mark Newman with Minister Curtis Pitt and the builder of the new Boys From Barambah extension to the Cherbourg Memory website, Adrian Anderson, from the Sunshine Coast
Watching the “Boys From Barambah” launch were Murgon State School Year 6 students Nicholas Newton, Zachary Guse, Jasmine Kaing and Bridey Wessling
Aunty Grace Stanley, from Murgon, with Minister For Aboriginal partnerships Curtis Pitt
Mr Pitt and Vietnam veteran Uncle Peter Hegarty officially open the museum display
Visitors from Brisbane inspect Cherbourg’s old Roll of Honour board which will be replaced on Anzac Day with a new one which incorporates the recent research … George Cauchy, left, found his father on the original board recorded as Walter Koochie
Clowry Kennell, from Murgon, with Cherbourg mayor Ken Bone and Peter Hegarty, from Wondai … the former Corporal Hegarty joined the regular army at the same time as three or four other young men from Cherbourg; he served in the Royal Australian Engineers in Vietnam, Malaya and Singapore

  

 

One Response to "Let’s Join Together To Remember"

  1. Great coverage once again. This was a wonderful day as well. Well done and congratulations to all the Anzac 100 committee members from the Ration Shed Museum and others who worked tirelessly behind the scenes, our curator, artists, researchers. I don’t want to start mentioning names in case I forget someone, but you know who you are. Well done…Lest We Forget!

    Reply

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