Karara welcomes home some ANZACs

WWI Honour Plaque, Karara Hall

In February 1920 a train rolled into Karara Station, bringing home three men (who the Warwick Daily News in the idiom of the day called boys). Men who had seen action in WWI. The plaque commemorating the service of Karara's men (see above) lists the years of the war as 1914-1919, this was later revised down to 1914-1918 when a marble honour board was made to commemorate both world wars.  Even so, this little episode in the paper of the day shows that even once the war was over the return home was not immediate and the capacity to work was reduced.  A fact easily glossed over in the papers words "and all bear the honorable wounds which were the lot of many an Australian boy."

I have the honour of teaching history at the Karara State School. The history of Karara may become another theme in my blog, as the school seeks to populate a timeline which seeks to tell the story of the village.

February 14.

On Friday night the residents of the Karara district assembled in the goods shed at Karara to bid welcome home to three of their boys, the last of whom only just arrived from the seat of war. The boys were Corporal Thomas R. Lee, Corporal Percy Wickham, and Private E. P. Bonner. All three boys saw long service in Egypt and France, and all bear the honorable wounds which were the lot of many an Australian boy. To show their appreciation of the good work done on the battlefields, the Karara friends, presented each soldier with a beautiful gold watch and chain with suitable inscription.

Mr. M. Cleary occupied the chair, and Councillor J. E. Smith made the presentation. Both spoke in eulogistic terms of the good work done by all the Karara boys, numbering in all over a dozen. The lads thanked their friends for their presentation and kind things said about them.

Mr. Cleary also presented Mrs. Lee with a beautiful diamond brooch on behalf of her friends. Mr. Lee responded on behalf of his wife.

At the same gathering Mr. Cleary, on behalf of his friends, presented Mr. R. S. Meiklejohn with a gold locket in-scribed in recognition of his good work in connection with the soldiers of the district. Mr. Meiklejohn, who was taken by surprise, thanked, his friends, and said all he had done was only a pleasure.

The dance was kept going until the wee small hours of the morning. Miss Allan and Mr. Bruce Forbes supplied music (piano), and Mr. C. Moore made a very efficient M.C. Mrs. Forbes kindly lent her piano for the occasion.

Source:  

COUNTRY NEWS (1920, February 17). Warwick Daily News (Qld. : 1919 -1954), p. 6. Retrieved June 18, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article175780856