The ANZAC Spirit was reignited on Monday afternoon when the Boomerang March made its way from Gooloogong, as they retrace the steps of the original Cooee marchers from World War 1.
The marchers were met on the outside of town by several locals purposefully dressed and mounted on horseback who joined the march as it made its way into Canowindra. Canowindra High School, Canowindra Public School and St Edward’s Primary School all had students in attendance at the Morris Park Boomerang March Service and Mike Harrison, President of the Canowindra Sub-Branch of the RSL opened the ceremony.
Orange resident Tony Callaghan brought a special piece of memorabilia to present to Mike Harrison and the community of Canowindra; the “Dead Man’s Penny”, a commemorative medallion presented to the next-of-kin of those who lost their lives in the First World War, belonging to the family of Norman Williams, a young man born in Cargo who enlisted in the original Boomerang
Marches in Canowindra, and lost his life in battle on the Hindenburg Line.
The medallion came into Tony’s hands by way of his grandfather, and after more than 60 years, it has finally returned home, a living metaphor for the Boomerangs. The marchers are on their way to Bathurst and have stopped at other towns on the trail including Billimari, Cowra and Woodstock, following train lines and roads on the original march. “We aren’t trying to re-enact the march as much as we are trying to retrace the march,” said Cooee March organiser Kim Templeton. “These marches help the little towns remember their fallen soldiers and concentrate history.”