A century ago, World War I was over and many volunteers were still on their way home, not least of which was the Commander in Chief of all Australian Forces, Lieutenant-General Sir John Monash, who had accepted the task of repatriating Australian soldiers home as expeditiously as possible.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Sir John Monash was not to return to the shores of Australia until Boxing Day, 1919.
The Jerilderie district was typical of many rural communities who formed organisations to arrange functions welcoming their local lads returning home following the end of the war.
Jerilderie’s first official welcome home function was held in the Town Hall on Wednesday, December 4, 1918.
But like other rural communities, there had been many impromptu welcoming ceremonies held beforehand, primarily in relation to people who had departed from Jerilderie before the start of the war but, with friends or family members still living in the town or district, were wishing to catch up with them before they embarked on their overseas posting.
Others to receive spontaneous welcomes were those who had been severely wounded, receiving extended sick leave, or had been discharged unfit for further duty.
It should be remembered that in most cases, soldiers leaving Australian shores did so for the entire duration of the war.
To return home was at the time via a lengthy sea voyage, and most soldiers recuperating from illness or injuries, or granted furlough while serving in France, were usually evacuated to England.
It is not quite clear when it was decided to hold one large welcoming function in Jerilderie, possibly because there were so many servicemen and servicewomen returning without anybody having any prior knowledge of their arrival in Australia.
Others of course, were in no hurry to return home after disembarking in whatever city it was that their troop ship had berthed, taking the time to have a look around.
Nevertheless, a Welcoming Home Committee was formed in Jerilderie, and arrangements were set in motion for one large function to be held on Monday, July 28, 1919.
Without publishing the report on proceedings in full, which appeared in the Jerilderie Herald and Urana Advertiser on July 31, 1919, the following is an extract.
The largest crowd that has attended any previous function of its kind was present at the Town Hall on Monday evening last, when medals were presented to a number of Jerilderie’s returned soldiers.
During the evening all the local returned soldiers in attendance assembled on the stage, when the presentation of medals took place.
Mr Flanagan, presiding, introduced Mr Clark and the Hon. R T Ball, M.L.A.
Mr Clark said it was a pleasure to be present to welcome the lads home. He wished to apologise on behalf of some, who were to be welcomed, but were unavoidably absent, owing to a sickness, and other reasons.
Hon. R T Ball said it was the greatest pleasure for him to be present and to perform the function of presenting the medals to the lads who had rendered such noble service.
Mr Ball then presented medals to the following soldiers: Privates W Shoesmith, Jack Taylor, C F Curtin, P F Rose, H T Taylor, C McDougall, W Hardie, Gunner J H Liddle, Corporal R White, M.M., and Sergeant W J C Smith.
In keeping with past contributions to the SRN, in which references are made to weird coincidences unearthed by researchers when delving into past events, it is worth recording that while serving as Vice-Chancellor of Melbourne University from 1923, until his death in 1931, Jerilderie’s most famous son Sir John Monash worked tirelessly to raise funds for the provision of a Medical Library in the University, to be named the Brownless Library.
The name is in recognition of Sir Anthony Colling Brownless, who in 1862 started Australia’s first medical school, delivered by the University of Melbourne.
Sir Anthony’s youngest son, William Hamilton Brownless, was appointed manager of Yanko Station, Jerilderie, in 1894 and in the 35 years until his untimely death in 1929, associated himself with almost every public organisation in Jerilderie.
In 1911 he was elected to the Shire of Wunnamurra, serving as president in 1913 and again in 1918, the last year before the merger of that shire with the Municipality of Jerilderie, to form the Jerilderie Shire Council.
Both Sir John Monash and Sir Anthony Brownless had commissioned Sir John Longstaff to paint their portraits.
Monash’s portrait is hanging in the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, while the Brownless portrait, presented to the University, was destroyed in the Wilson Hall fire of 1952.
Wilson Hall was so named through an endowment made by Sir Samuel Wilson (1832-1895), owner of Yanko Station, Jerilderie, from 1869 to 1949.
But the weird coincidences don’t stop there.
When researching whether Sir John Monash did or did not meet Ned Kelly (he did, but not on the occasion of the raid) the following came to light.
Sir John’s father, Louis Monash, was naturalised on April 25, 1856, 59 years to the day before Gallipoli, and it was conducted by Sir Redmond Barry who went on to be the presiding judge at Ned Kelly’s trial.
On being found guilty, Judge Barry ordered Ned to be hanged on — wait for it — 11th day of November, 1880; 38 years to the day before the Armistice treaty was signed.
At least Ned was sentenced to be hanged at 10am, and not 11am.
But one thing readers can be sure of, Billy Brownless — former Jerilderie and Geelong footballer, TV and radio personality — did not graduate from the Melbourne University Medical School, founded by his great-great grandfather.