Transcription of an article titled ‘The Great Route March : the tremendous Bathurst welcome’ from The Farmer and Settler, 2 November, 1915, p. 3, [part 2 of 3].
… [Continued]
‘Bathurst to Yetholme.
The district band played the column out of town on Friday, leading the way from the showground along the beautiful willow avenue, over the bridge and out along the long, white road that leads Sydney-wards, over the mountains. The first portion of the day’s fifteen-mile journey to Yetholme was fairly good going, until Glanmire was reached at dinner time. Residents of Raglan co-operated with the Glanmire folk to provide lunch under the trees in Mr. Ivatt’s property at Glanmire. After being welcomed by Mr. J. Godfrey, the men “fell to” and soon evidenced their full appreciation of the good things provided by the ladies. The Rev. Crighton then addressed a few words of straight, manly advice to the men, and after the “Coo-ees” had cheered the ladies and others that had entertained them, they were themselves cheered along the road by the admiring throng.
Hilly ceased to be a suitable adjective with which to describe the road then entered upon, but the boys swung along the mountain roads with a style about them that was a compliment to Captain Eade, and the non-commissioned officer that had joined forces at Bathurst for purposes of instruction and discipline.
A little after five in the evening Yetholme was discovered by the boys to be one or two tourist accommodation houses and a post office, nestling in the mountains, and one of the prettiest spots yet encountered. Small as was the population, arrangements had been made by the recruiting association for the proprietor of “Brooklands Park” to provide sustenance for the two full platoons of soldiers that had marched in that afternoon. Mr. W. H. Berry, president of the Turon Shire Council extended a warm welcome to the boys, and after quarters had been taken up in the school grounds, tea was served in the large dining hall. Two sittings is the order of the day now that a hundred and fifty men have to be provided for, only the larger towns boasting a structure capable of seating the whole army at once.
After tea it was proposed to hold a smoke concert in the dining room, but following a suggestion thrown out by the officers of the column, a camp fire concert was organised in the school grounds. A fair crowd assembled, and a very pleasant evening was spent, no fewer than three men coming forward to join, in response to the speeches of Messrs. C. W. Chiplin, Williams, Clark, Blackett, Lee, and Wynne. This addition to the ranks was all the more welcome because unexpected, nobody regarding such a small place as Yetholme in the light of a recruiting ground. One more man caught up on horseback from Glanmire. Mr. W. L. Garrad was a most energetic worker, as secretary of the local recruiting association; Mr. William represented Meadow Flat, and Mr. Chiplin spoke for Sunny Corner.
A shower of rain caused a little inconvenience to the open air sleepers during the night, hut all hands were cheery and ready for the march next morning after breakfast.’
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Click here to access the article on Trove: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article116674770
1915 Coo-ee March 