November 8, 2021
How much do you know about World War I, the so-called “war to end all wars” that we will be commemorating on Thursday, Remembrance Day?
Most of us know more than 60,000 Australian soldiers died and another 156,000 were wounded, gassed or taken prisoner.
But do you know why the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month is important? Or why people wear red poppies? Why the Last Post, Reveille and Rouse is sounded at events?
Or how many millions of pounds the war actually cost the Australian economy?
A special Remembrance Day program at the Kingaroy Town Hall Supper Room from 9:00am to Tuesday (November 9) aims to fill in these gaps.
The free event, sponsored by the Kingaroy-Memerambi RSL Sub-Branch and Kingaroy Library, will also include a display of memorabilia.
Morning tea will be provided by the Sub-Branch.
A highlight will be a presentation by economist Dr Les Henning at 10:30am which will explore the funding of the Great War – loans, bonds, taxes and reparations from Germany post-war.
Dr Henning attended school in Kingaroy and has a Bachelor of Economics, Master of Political Economy and a PhD in economic history from the University of Queensland.
He has worked for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the UN Development Program and the US State Department.
Dr Henning has spent the past seven years researching and writing “A Financial History Of Australia’s Participation In World War I and Its Aftermath”, which will be published soon.
- See the list of Remembrance Day Services on our Daily Calendar
