WWI diggers honoured with March of Dungarees memorial in Warwick

The 125 men of the Dungaree March who fought for Australia in World War One have been honoured by a new memorial in Warwick on the Darling Downs.

Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe today officially opened the memorial in the historic Leslie Park, which has been funded with a $135,000 contribution from the Palaszczuk Government’s $600 million Works for Queensland program.

“This memorial honours the 125 men who marched from Warwick to Brisbane in November 1915 to join the Australian Defence Force,” he said.

“These men showed extraordinary bravery to enlist just as the Gallipoli campaign was drawing to a close.

“Many of these brave men made the ultimate sacrifice and never came home to their families.

“They fought bravely in European and Middle Eastern theatres of war in WWI and this memorial is a fitting tribute to their service to country.

“I’d like to congratulate Mayor Tracy Dobie and Southern Downs Regional Council for helping preserve an important part of the region’s history with this memorial.”

Mayor Tracy Dobie said the memorial to the Dungarees was five years in the making.

“I am so pleased to finally have a fitting tribute to those brave men of the Dungarees,” Cr Dobie said.

“This memorial is an important piece of the region’s war time narrative.

“It will be a focal point for ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day commemorations and keep the memory of these brave men alive.

“I would like to thank the Minister for Local Government Stirling Hinchliffe for dedicating a plaque at the memorial to the memory of those men.

“This memorial would not have been possible without the work and dedication of the staff and councillors at Southern Downs Regional Council and funding from the Queensland Government’s Works for Queensland program.”

This unique piece of Queensland military history is documented in the Queensland Government’s ‘Experience Heritage’ website https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/march-of-the-dungarees/

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