Gympie Family History Society Inc.
Gympie’s Great War Series
A little idea that grew. This is how this series of books began. Honouring not only the service men and women who enlisted from the Wide Bay region between 1914 and 1918, but also acknowledging the families that were left behind to support from a great distance.
Many other organisations and individual people are researching and compiling records on their Diggers in Australia and New Zealand. Most of them are from a military point of view. All of them are keeping the stories alive for future generations so that the men and women are never forgotten. Of course some of the stories are not so honourable but they are still included. Men were men and not all were able to cope with the horrors they faced.
The Gympie Family History Society is doing our part a little bit differently. We are focusing more on the families and the environment, the effects and affects that the Great War had on those still in the Wide Bay area. Our Society members are spending many hours painstakingly locating files and family information, family records and photos for as many people as we can so that we can create a full story where possible.
Everything that we have included in our books has been sourced through easily accessible sites such as the AWM, BDMs and Trove. We have tried to be mindful of relatives still living and to honour the memory of those who have passed. The format of the books are in date order. Day by day through the years, there are reports from the newspapers of that date, the enlistments of any service personnel on that date and as the months progress, the deaths of those on dates will be included. Also running through each day from book 1915 onwards, the happenings from a small diary from Henry LONG of Chatsworth will be included.
The series celebrates the important role the local newspaper, The Gympie Times and Mary River Mining Gazette, had through the years from 1914 to 1919 and beyond. This is how the people would have kept up to date on what was happening both locally and on the front. From the enlistments, departures to camps, leaving Australia and what they were faced with on arrival in the strange new lands, was all reported back home via reports and letters home.
Much of this is in the 1914 book. Each book will include more letters home, the beginnings of the reports of wounds, deaths and then even the capture of POW’s. There were still weddings, births and funerals back home and often photos and cards were sent back. We have been fortunate to have some of these items available for inclusion in the books.
To date we have located 1,448 persons involved and we have created files on each of them to record their stories. These files will remain in our Society Rooms for people to access. This is a huge job and we are including where possible photos, especially family photos.
If you have details or photos on anyone you think may be included, please contact GFHS on secretary@gfhs.com.au
Gympie Family History Society Inc.
Phone: 07 5482 8211
Email: research@gfhs.com.au
Address:
1 Chapple Street
Gympie Qld 4570
Opening Hours:
Wednesday: 9:30am – 2:00pm
Friday: 9:30am – 12:00pm
Saturday: 1:00pm – 4:00pm