Tag Archives: Gilgandra

The start at Gilgandra on Saturday 17th October 2015

Posted on October 17, 2015 | 1 comment

The start at Gilgandra

At 7 am the Coo-ee marchers enjoyed sausages, bacon and eggs for breakfast, provided by the Lions Club at Hunter Park.

At 9 am the Coo-ee marchers attended a church service with the community at St Ambrose Church in Myrtle Street in Gilgandra.

Church service at St Ambrose Church in Gilgandra

Church service at St Ambrose Church in Gilgandra

At 10.45 the official farewell was given at the commemorative Coo-ee March cairn in Bridge Street, which marks the spot where the original Coo-ee March commenced.

Official farewell in Bridge Street at the spot where the 1915 Coo-ee March started.

Official farewell in Bridge Street at the spot where the 1915 Coo-ee March started.

At 11 am the Coo-ee March 2015 Re-enactment commenced with a street parade from Bridge Street into Miller Street onto the Newell Highway to the Coo-ee Mach Memorial Park gateway, where a commemorative service was held in memory of the 35 men who joined the Coo-ee March from Gilgandra.

Coo-ee marchers arrival at Cooee March Memorial Park gateway for a service.

Coo-ee marchers arrival at Cooee March Memorial Park gateway for a service.

Two family members of Captain Bill Hitchen, William Hitchen and Joanne Holmes, layed a wreath.

William Hitchen and Joanne Holmes laying a wreath

William Hitchen and Joanne Holmes laying a wreath

Brian Bywater then planted a tree near the Coo-ee Heritage Centre.

The Coo-ee marchers then marched out of Gilgandra at 12 noon, starting their long trek to Sydney, in the footsteps of the Coo-ees who left Gilgandra 100 years ago on 10th October 2015.

The marchers arrived at Balladoran for their overnight stay  at 5 pm.

 

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Provisions Night at the Royal Hotel at Gilgandra

Posted on October 16, 2015 | Leave a comment

Provisions Night at the Royal Hotel  at Gilgandra Thursday 15th October 2015

Last night the Provisions Night, which was hosted by the Lions Club, was held at the Royal Hotel in Gilgandra. This is in memory of the Tobacco Night that was held 100 years ago as part of the farewell events organised by the people of Gilgandra.

The Coo-ee March 2015 Inc. (Gilgandra Sub-Committee) would like to thank all individuals and organisations that have donated items to support the Coo-ee March 2015 Re-enactment.

Cheque presented by Brian Bywater, President, at Provisions Night

Cheque presented to Brian Bywater, President, at Provisions Night

Gilgandra’s Country Style Cafe presented a $3300 cheque to the Coo-ee March Re-enactment during the evening.  This money has been raised by the cafe owners through fundraising in the community. Thank you Sueanne and Mark.

Many of the marchers attended,  along with several groups of family members /descendants of  1915 Coo-ees Bill Hitchen, James McKeown, James Cameron, and William Howard.

Some of the marchers at the Provisions Night at the Royal Hotel, Gilgandra

Some of the marchers at the Provisions Night at the Royal Hotel, Gilgandra

A great evening was had by everyone who attended.

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Gilgandra welcomes the descendants and family of original 1915 Coo-ee marchers

Posted on October 14, 2015 | Leave a comment

Gilgandra welcomes the descendants and family of the original 1915 Coo-ee marchers

Descendants and family of the original 1915 Coo-ee Marchers are invited to register your name and contact details at the Gilgandra Coo-ee Heritage and Visitor Information Centre on Thursday 15th and Friday 16th in the lead up to the Coo-ee March 2015 Re-enactment.

Complete your contact details in the 2015 Centenary Coo-ee March Re-enactment Guest Book and pick up a name badge to wear at the events leading up to the Farewell on Saturday 17th October. This will enable you and other descendants to recognise each other.

Registration Thursday 15th and Friday 16th October at the Coo-ee Heritage and Visitor Information Centre. Hours 10am to 2pm.

The Gilgandra Coo-ee Heritage and Visitor Information Centre is on the Newell Highway, Gilgandra. Opening hours; 9am-5pm.  Phone 6817 8700.

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Program of Events in Gilgandra leading up to the start of the Coo-ee March 2015 Re-enactment

Posted on October 14, 2015 | Leave a comment

Program of Events in Gilgandra leading up to the start

Thursday 15 October 2015:

  • Provisions night and farewell hosted by the Lions Club at the Royal Hotel at the corner of Miller and Bridge Streets in Gilgandra, starting at 6 pm.  There will be a barbecue and a bush band and visitors are welcome to attend

Friday 16 October 2015:

  • Farewell Ball at Gilgandra Shire Hall starting at 7.30 pm. Tickets ($25 each) are available from M H Thomas in Gilgandra (phone 02 6847 2489). Everyone attending is encouraged to wear period costume.

Saturday 17 October 2015:

  • 7 am Marchers leave Showground and march to Hunter Park (CWA Rooms) for a sausage sizzle breakfast catered by the Lions Club
  • 9 am Church service at St Ambrose Church in Myrtle Street in Gilgandra. Members of the public are invited to attend.
  • 10.45 am Official farewell at the commemorative Coo-ee March cairn in Bridge Street, which marks the spot where the original Coo-ee March commenced
  • 11 am Commencement of the Coo-ee March 2015 Re-enactment. Members of the public are encouraged to line the streets to watch the marchers in a street parade from Bridge Street into Miller Street onto the Newell Highway where they will stop at the Coo-ee March Memorial Park gateway for a short commemorative service, before they leave Gilgandra on their long march to Sydney, following in the footsteps of the original Coo-ees, who left Gilgandra on 10th October 1915.

 

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Coo-ee Bronze Sculpture unveiled at Gilgandra

Posted on August 9, 2015 | Leave a comment

Coo-ee Bronze Sculpture unveiled at Gilgandra

A centenary bronze statue of an Australian soldier with his hands cupped to “Coo-ee”, made by sculptor Brett Garling, was unveiled in the Community Plaza along Bridge Street in Gilgandra after the 11 am Anzac Day service on 25th April 2015. Gilgandra Lions Club was the major fundraiser for the Coo-ee Bronze Sculpture project.

The following words are engraved on the base of the statue:

‘In recognition of the 35 men who left Gilgandra in 1915 and their eternal footprint on the history of our community and our nation’.

New Coo-ee bronze statue at Gilgandra (Photograph: H. Thompson 2/5/2015)

New Coo-ee bronze statue at Gilgandra (Photograph: H. Thompson 2/5/2015)

The following account of the unveiling ceremony is based on the report given in an article titled ‘Coo-ee Bronze Sculpture unveiled’ in The Gilgandra Weekly (28/4/2015, p. 6).

Mayor Batten, who led the unveiling ceremony, said the fact that the “Coo-ee recruitment march originated from Gilgandra and was the first of its kind in the British Empire, was not only of historical significance but a telling forerunner to the extent of community volunteerism and commitment that remains prevalent within the social and cultural fibre of Gilgandra shire today”.

Mayor Batten when introducing the person who would unveil the sculpture, said that “There is no other way to describe this person other than Mr Coo-ee”, and “He was pivotal in the 1987 re-enactment march, he lives and breathes the Coo-ee story every day with his museum and again has asked ‘Will you come’ and join the 2015 Centenary re-enactment march.”

Brian Bywater said when he came forward to unveil the statue “It really gives me a thrill to unveil this sculpture; it has been my dream as well as everyone else’s here who are mixed up with the Coo-ees”, and “Before the 1987 re-enactment, it was awfully hard to get anyone to know about the Coo-ees. The 1987 march brought it off the ground and Gilgandra came to life.”

After pulling off the covering, Brian Bywater asked the crowd to give him a coo-ee back on three, and the crowd of 2000 people answered with ‘Cooooooo-eeeee’.

The Coo-ee March 2015 Reenactment marchers will march past this new statue when they set off from Bridge Street then along Miller street in a parade to the gates at the Cooee March Memorial Park, which lists the names of the 35 Gilgandra Coo-ee March recruits, for a commemorative service before they commence their long march to Sydney on Saturday, 17th October, 1915.

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