NEARLY 100 years ago, between 5000 and 6000 people milled around Wagga’s town hall, Baylis and Fitzmaurice streets to farewell 88 men known as Kangaroos at the start of their recruitment march to Sydney and military service in World War I.
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The event was described in The Daily Advertiser then as an “epoch making day in the history of Wagga and district”.
On Saturday, a re-enactment of the Kangaroo March leaves Wagga for a 35-day, 524km trek to Campbelltown to honour the sacrifices of those men, the nearly 140 who joined them along the way and their families.
A 60-minute ceremony to farewell the re-enactment marchers will be held from 10.25am in almost the identical spot where thousands thronged to say goodbye to the original Kangaroos on December 1, 1915.
Wagga mayor Rod Kendall has urged all Wagga and district residents to attend the ceremony in the same show of support as in 1915.
Wagga’s population at the 1911 census was 6419, meaning a crowd of 6000 four years later to farewell the Kangaroos later meant nearly the equivalent of the town’s population was there, flying flags, holding banners, cheering loudly and wiping away tears.
“It would be great if we had the same numbers as we had on Anzac Day,” Councillor Kendall said, referring to the estimated crowd of 15,000 for the April 25 march and service.
Cr Kendall’s “call to arms” was echoed by the vice-president of the Kangaroo March Re-enactment Committee, Rhondda Vanzella.
“I just hope the people of Wagga will turn up out of respect for the sacrifices of the 88 men who marched off to war 100 years ago,” Mrs Vanzella said.
The Kangaroos were part of the longest recruitment march in NSW.
Many went on to serve their country with distinction. One, John (Jack) Ryan, of Tumut, was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1918.
Too many of them died, including Will Lidden, of Harefield.
He was killed at the Somme on June 29, 1918.
Will’s great niece, Janess, visited his grave in France five years ago.
At the end of Saturday’s ceremony, the re-enactment march will walk to North Wagga for lunch and community celebrations and then spend the night at Brucedale, just as the Kangaroos did in 1915.