{"id":86472,"date":"2014-10-31T03:23:23","date_gmt":"2014-10-30T17:23:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=86472"},"modified":"2020-11-23T13:04:09","modified_gmt":"2020-11-23T03:04:09","slug":"parade-welcomes-gun-back-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2014\/10\/31\/parade-welcomes-gun-back-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Parade Welcomes Gun Back Home"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Murgon RSL Sub-Branch president Jim Kingston can relax now the gun is back home<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

October 31, 2014<\/strong><\/p>\n

The saga of the Murgon gun is finally over with the re-positioning of the World War II artillery piece back outside Murgon RSL Club on Thursday afternoon.<\/p>\n

The 25 pounder, which was sandblasted and repainted at Bryan Zelinski Engineering, was lifted onto the back of a South Burnett Machinery truck to begin its journey back to Murgon RSL Club.<\/p>\n

It was joined at QEII Park in Lamb Street by a collection of marchers determined to celebrate the return of the gun to Murgon after more than four years “exile” in Kingaroy.<\/p>\n

The parade, which was escorted by police, continued up Lamb Street and then turned right into Gore Street.<\/p>\n

Outside the RSL Club other Murgon residents clapped – and one woman did a small jig – as the gun passed by.<\/p>\n

Murgon RSL Sub-Branch members have been pressing for the return of the gun to Murgon for years, following its relocation to the Burnett War Museum in Kingaroy.<\/p>\n

The opportunity to reclaim it \u00a0came with the announcement earlier this year that the museum displays had been handed over to Heritage House in Yarraman.<\/p>\n

Cr Kathy Duff, also eager for the gun to return to Murgon, contacted a representative from Heritage House who confirmed they did not wish to have the gun.<\/p>\n

Murgon RSL Sub-Branch president Jim Kingston said Thursday’s parade was an event “that will be written into the Murgon history books”.<\/p>\n

Cr Duff agreed it had been a “long journey”.<\/p>\n

“It was over 4 1\/2 years ago when the gun left Murgon,” she said. “I was part of the community uproar at the time …<\/p>\n

“It’s been a long battle to get the gun back to Murgon.”<\/p>\n

The gun was carefully lifted from the truck and positioned on a new slab of concrete – laid by Darryl Smith and Col Perkins – where it will now be bolted down.<\/p>\n

Murgon residents obviously want the gun to stay put this time around …<\/p>\n

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