Transcription of extract from an article titled ‘The Route March : Growth of the “Snowball”’ in The Farmer and Settler, 22 October, 1915, p. 3 [part 3 of 3]
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‘Breakfast over, the transports were loaded for Euchareena. The lunching place was Store Creek, where the few inhabitants and the school children gave every assistance in preparing the lunch, besides providing milk, eggs, butter etc. The school children ran races for “Hitchen’s Coo-ee” badges, and also adorned the boys with roses. The first time that flowers were offered to the recruits was at Wellington, where an old French lady threw rose petals over the marching men. Since then, at Dripstone, Stuart Town, and now at Euchareena, the roses have been forthcoming. Here they were positively garlanded with roses.
Euchareena’s Welcome.
It must have been an impressive sight to the little knot of ladies that stood waiting by the Salvation Army hall at Euchareena to see across the valley that little band of one hundred men coming marching down the long, white road to the valley head where nestles the town-ship, then curve and come again over the rise, marching like veterans. The prettiest part of the picture was the children, dressed in their best, and waving the good old Union Jack. Camp was pitched in the school grounds, and then, after a brief welcome speech had been made by Mr. O’Reilly, the school teacher, and songs had been rendered by the little tots, the tea provided by the local folk was partaken of. The usual recruiting meeting was held after tea, the speeches being made from the platform of a railway shed. One young man was enrolled, and there are hopes of one or two more being persuaded to come. Three men caught up by the mail train, and one went on to Orange.’
Click here to view the article on Trove: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article116649160
1915 Coo-ee March 