Feguson Honours War Heroes

Almost two years after the Gallipoli landing, a big crowd gathered at the Ferguson State School for the unveiling of a roll of honour of former scholars who, “at the call of Empire, went forth without demur to fight for honour and freedom in the world’s battlefields”.

Mr William Lemen Thomas, Member of the Legislative Assembly Bunbury, told locals and visitors they had assembled to do honour to the heroes of the Ferguson, “who had gone forth to the firing line: brave fellows who had realised their responsibility as citizens of the Empire in the hour of the nation's peril. They had taken the honour of Australia and their own in their hands, and their stirring deeds had won for their native land and for themselves a fame which would never perish”. Mr Thomas said he had heard one mother say that it had pained her to let her son go to the front, but that she would rather suffer that pain than the sorrow and shame of having her boy stay at home in inglorious ease, whilst the noblest young men of the country were doing their duty in the defence of all they held dearest.

“That was the glorious spirit that had animated the parents of the men whose names were upon the roll of honour,” he said. All those listed on the roll had received their education in the Ferguson school. Mr Thomas remarked that if every school in the State were as patriotic and worthy as that it would bode well for the future of the country. About 44% of the old-time scholars of the school who had reached military age had enlisted, and he thought that that was a record that all might well applaud.

Those whose names were inscribed on the roll: Albert Cantwell, Alfred Gardiner, Douglas Gardiner, Lea Gardiner, Wilfred Gardiner, Keith Gardiner, Reuben Chapman, Wilfred Chapman, Basil Gibbs, Harold Gibbs, Lenard Buckenara, Mark Flynn, George Flynn, Daniel Slattery, William Combs, Percy Williams, Jack Williams, John Hanrahan and Joseph Slattery.

Written by Christine Hunter for the Streets of Bunbury project.