THE Post Office Gallery’s latest exhibition Bendigo enlists: the First World War 1914-18 coincides with the centenary of Anzac. The project reflects upon the involvement of the Bendigo community honouring the fallen and the survivors, the role of women and the impact the war had upon families and day-to-day life in Bendigo.
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The catalogue essay that accompanies the exhibition was written by renowned author, historian and biographer Dr Ross McMullin.
It allows readers to understand the stories of some of Bendigo’s more prominent figures. Ross draws upon his previous research and writes with his wealth of knowledge, offering a detailed and informative account of our local story.
Here is an extract from Dr McMullin’s catalogue essay:
"In August 1914, when news that Australia was at war reached Bendigo, a 20-year-old engineer named Noel Edwards called at the Town Hall to enlist. The hastily established recruiting office was in the process of opening up, and Edwards was told to return in half an hour. Not wanting to be late for work, he decided to enlist later, on his way home; according to his family, this deprived him of the distinction of being Bendigo’s first enlister in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). Noel’s father, JB Edwards, was a well-known jeweller and watchmaker with business premises at Pall Mall. He and his wife Blanche had seven children; Noel was the eldest son.
"Noel Edwards was capable with a rifle after his years in the militia, but another August volunteer from Bendigo, Percy Carne, was a champion shooter. Carne, a 28-year-old carpenter, had won numerous prizes and represented Victoria in interstate competitions. Jack Turnour, a determined 21-year-old divinity student, also volunteered in those initial weeks. Turnour was studying to become a minister at Bendigo’s Anglican college.
"Bendigo’s best-known early enlister was 32-year-old Captain Herbert Humphreys Hunter. An outstanding sportsman, he had played top-level football in the VFL while still at school, and had also excelled in athletics, winning the state sprint title and becoming Australasian long-jump champion. With degrees from the University of Melbourne and a further qualification in Pennsylvania, he had established a dental practice in Bendigo that acquired an enviable reputation as one of the best in Victoria. A popular community identity, he had been active in the militia and was president of the Bendigo Football League.
"Hunter, together with Edwards, Carne, Turnour and nearly all of Bendigo’s original infantry enlisters, ended up in the 7th AIF Battalion, which was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel HE ‘Pompey’ Elliott. Pompey Elliott decided to maximise pre-AIF connections within his unit, so the originals from Bendigo formed G Company in the 7th Battalion. Captain Hunter was commander of the company, which included other officers from Bendigo in clerk Stan de Ravin and lawyer Eric Connelly. The 7th Battalion’s adjutant, Chris Finlayson, was also from Bendigo; his wedding was a social highlight of their training at Broadmeadows camp.
"The Bendigo originals returned to their home city on 5 September for a round of farewells. Hunter spoke on their behalf at the main civic reception: ‘while all could not expect to return they were prepared to take a sporting chance’, he declared, and ‘there would be no beg pardons’ when their real work began."
To visit Bendigo enlists: the First World War 1914-18, head into Post Office Gallery, 51 to 67 Pall Mall, Bendigo, open 9am to 5pm daily. Entry is by donation.
