News

14th October 2023.

Team Farqarweez

Staff from Cessnock Correctional Centre with the support of Director Hamish Shearer and Governor Mick Dudley completed the Kokoda Challenge at Lake Macquarie, setting off in the hills from the Equestrian Centre at Cooranbong. Teams chose to traverse the 18, 30 or 48km course through the stunning Olney State Forest and Watagan’s National Park. These distances, 18 + 30 + 48 = 96km, is the distance of the real Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea.

The driving force behind this challenge was SCO Leesa Dwyer who is Cessnock’s Peer Support Champion and one of our Are You Ok Ambassadors with 1/Class Correctional Officer Don McCauley. They, with Correctional Officers Jessie Young, Jessie McRae, SCO Nadina Avenell and SCO David Harrower ACM completed this course is just over 6 hours.

Over 70 thousand dollars war raised on this day for the Kokoda Youth Foundation. Their goal is not only to help kids in our local community, but also to honour the Australian soldiers that fought for our freedom in Papua New Guinea during WWII and to spread awareness to more Australians about this story and legacy.

Our team the Cessnock Farqarweez was one of 105 teams that entered the challenge and Cessnock may have finished the day at the back of the pack, but we were ranked number 1 in the fund raiser. We raised nearly 3 thousand dollars for the youth Foundation. Well done to the team and thank you to all who donated to the foundation.

The challenge for next years is to increase our ranks from 6 to 60 to complete the challenge.

The new Bingara War Memorial Museum will be having its grand opening on the 22nd of April 2023. I will be attending as a guest speaker at this event to celebrate the efforts of the District Historical Society

22nd April 2024.

I was invited as a guest speaker to the Grand Opening of the Bingara War Museum.

Bingara War Memorial Museum 22/04/2023

What can we and future generation do to ensure our veterans names and their deeds are remembered. It has been said they we die twice. The first time is when we take our last breath and the second time is when our name is spoken for the last time. Projects such as the Bingara War Museum will help to ensure that our veterans names and their deeds are not forgotten.

When the name Bingara is mentioned, I think of “B Company” 33rd Battalion AIF. The composition of the 33rd Infantry Battalion was on a district basis. "A Company" was from Armidale and Tamworth, "B Company" was from Walcha, Uralla, Barraba, Bingara and Manilla. "C Company" was from Narrabri, Moree and Inverell and "D Company was from Glen Innes, Guyra and Tenterfield.
The AIF Database records that out of the One Hundred and Fifty (150) men who gave 'Bingara' as their address: Eighty Four (84) of them joined the 9th Brigade Battalions, with seventy eight (78) of those going to the 33rd Battalion (New England's Own aka the Northern Battalion).

At least 44 men from the Bingara District served with B Company 33rd Battalion AIF were original members of the Battalion during the Great War. They were from places called, The Plain Horton River-Box Hill- Murtonvale Topwater- Barracks Creek-Myall Creek- Garambeel- Spring Hill- Pine Hill- Pine Ridge- Mountview- Bobby Whitlow- Murvey – Boughheel Station- Mount Rodd- Annandale -Horton River- Keera- Green Bend Copeton- Bindi Elcombe- Wilga Farm- Middle Crossing- Castlemaine Halls Creek.

Many of whom worked together, were fathers, sons, brothers and brothers’ in law, uncle's, cousins and best friends. And it was these men that had the sad duty to write reports giving the circumstances of the death of a Bingara Soldier.

15th October 1917

Informant; Private: 376 Edgar Auston BROOKS I knew a man called George Thomas KING. who was in B Company and I think No:8 Platoon. His number was a low one something like 467 and he was one of the original men. He was cook in B Company. Before joining up he was a shearer from Bingara, N.S.W. He was a man about 40 with a dark complexion and dark moustache and about 5 ft 10. He was killed by a shell falling on the cook-house on the 27th of July at Messines. I saw his body afterwards buried close to where he was killed and a cross was put up over his grave with his name, number and regiment.

No 2 Station Hospital, Boulogne.
Home Address: Keera Street, Bingara.

16th November 1917

Informant; Private: 432 Henry Herman HARTOG. He was killed near Messines. I saw George Thomas KING killed and buried close to Messines in the 9th Brigade Cemetery. I saw his grave and a cross up. I knew him well, came from Australia with me.

Harefield, England. Ward: 3
Home Address: Faithful Street, Bingara.

Private: 467 George Thomas KING is remembered with honour and is commemorated in perpetuity by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission at the Bethleem Farm West Cemetery, Messines, Belgium.
George King enlisted with his 2 brothers Reuben Herbert King and William Edwin King all from Bobby Whiltow, Bingara. Reuben died on the 25th of January 1954 and William on the 16th of September 1958, both rest in the Bingara Cemetery. Rueben’s wife Alice Eliza King, returned to England after his death and William’s wife, Elsie May King, whose maiden name was Hartog was the sister of Herman Henry Hartog who was an informant to Private: George King’s death in 1917.

Sadly, on the afternoon of the 10th of May 1961, Henry Herman Hartog was found lying in a woolshed a few hundred yards from his residence. He also rests in the Bingara Cemetery.
There are many stories about Bingara Soldiers, I have mentioned but a few. In 2005, as a Military Researcher and Collector, I acquired a pair of World War One Medals and a Gold Fob from England. The medals are engraved to PTE 466 R H KING 33BN AIF and the gold fob was presented by the Residents of Bingara in the Great War to a Bingara Soldier, Private R H King 33rd Battalion. They were from the Estate of the late Alice Eliza King of Hempstead, England.

So it is with great pleasure that I can return Private: Rueben King’s medals and his gold fob, back to the residents of Bingara and have them displayed in the Bingara War Museum where they belong, because he was a Bingara Soldier from the Great War. “His Country Called He Answered”.

Lest We Forget

David Harrower ACM
22nd April 2023
Bingara New South Wales
Australia.

Bingara War Museum opening 22nd April 2023.

Bingara Historical Society and Museum.

Newcastle Herald. Wednesday 16th June 2021.

By Scott Bevan.

General Sir Peter Cosgrove, Newcastle Club CEO Ian Baker and Commission Member Brett Lavaling at the newly named Anzac Lounge.

Photo: Max Hubers

On June 15, 1921, one of Australia's best known military leaders of all time, General Sir Henry George (Harry) Chauvel, stood in the just-built Newcastle Clubon The Hill and officially dedicated a World War One honour roll. Exactly a century on Australia's best-known modern-day military leader, General Sir Peter Cosgrove, stood in the same room to rededicate the honour roll. Not that the former governor-general, ex-Chief of Defence Force and 2001 Australian of the year reviewed this as history repeating.

"I think it's history reflecting on itself," Sir Peter told the Newcastle Herald before the ceremony. "I think we're holding up a mirror of the past to the present." The walls in this room are mirror-like, their wooden panels gleaming. However, that is not what Sir Peter saw as he looked around, noting "the walls speak to you". For the walls now carry plaques telling stories behind each of the names of the 33 club members and five staff listed on the roll.

These were the people who signed up when World War One broke out in 1914. Six of those died during the war. Their names may not be etched into the main roll, but many more are honoured and listed in this room, for in the course of World War One, about 150 Newcastle Club members signed up. About 400 members enlisted during World War Two. To underscore the significance of this room, it has been given a new name: Anzac Lounge. As Sir Peter tod the gathering of about 120 at the Tuesday Night ceremony and dinner, the honour roll also spoke volumes about the club and its members around that time.

"It Speaks about a group of Australians who understood the gravity, the dignity, the extent of the service and sacrifice, not only of those members who gave their lives, listed on the roll, but so many other Australians listed in places in Australia, and in far off graveyards and on distant war memorials'" Sir Peter said. In preparing for the rededication ceremony, Newcastle Club CEO and Secretary Ian Baker had spent months fossicking through the archives.

He uncovered pieces of history surrounding the original honour roll dedication, including correspondence signed by General Harry Chauvel, who was renown for the charge of the Australian Light Horse soldiers at the capture of Beersheba in 1917. Mr Baker said a century on from the original ceremony, it was appropriate to have General Sir Peter Cosgrove rededicate the honour roll and unveil the Anzac Lounge.

"Because of the status of the person who unveiled it 100 years ago, we needed to get one of the greatest modern-day Generals to rededicate it," Mr Baker said. Sir Peter said he was honoured to have been asked. Having has three postings in the Hunter during his military career, he feels a strong connection to the region and Newcastle, which he described as "such a wonderful city". Even with my vestigal links through several postings, I'm comfortable in this city, I like the people of this city, and I've been led to believe I'm accepted here," Sir Peter Said. "Therefore, I feel like I'm an honorary Novocastrian, especially when I stand in the same place as Harry Chauvel Stood."

General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK AC (Mil) CVO MC (Ret) with David Harrower ACM

Guest Speakers at the Anzac Lounge Unveiling Dinner. The Newcastle Club. 15th June 2021

The Newcastle Club Roll of Honour

VALE

ROSS SARGANT

It is my solemn duty to inform staff members that former Senior Correctional Officer Ross Sargant passed away on 17 November 2020. Ross commenced with Corrective Services NSW on 27 May 1974 as a Correctional Officer at the Central Industrial Prison (CIP) Long Bay Complex.

Shortly after joining CSNSW Ross was posted to Cessnock Correctional Centre and on 22 September 1989 Ross was promoted to Senior Correctional Officer. Ross remained working at Cessnock until 27 May 2009 when he retired.

Ross served the people of NSW for more than 35 years and was awarded the National Medal with Second Clasp, CSNSW Meritorious Service Medal with 35yr Clasp and the CSNSW 15 Year Service Medal.

Ross will be sadly missed by his family, friends and former colleagues.

Cessnock Library Exhibition

1st November-13th November 2018

A collection of medals and Memorial Plaques to 10 men from 5 of the Local Government Areas of Cessnock. They represent, Cessnock, Aberdare, Weston, Greta and Branxton.

Armistice of World War 1. 11th November 1918-2018

Greta Memorial Cycle Way Luncheon 2018

Branxton - Greta Memorial Cycle Way Luncheon with Brett Wild, President of the Branxton Business Chamber. His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Ret'd) Governor of New South Wales and David Harrower after the luncheon and presentation. September 2018.

Maitland Remembers Passchendaele

Maitland Regional Museum 29th September 1917 - 28th November 1917

Acknowledgements. David Harrower

Dedication to the 35th Battalion "Passchendele 12th October 1917. 100th Anniversary

David Harrower as guest speaker at Sandgate Cemetery 12th October 2017 at the dedication for the men of the 35th Battalion AIF who fought and died at Passchendaele on the 12th October 1917 with the Director of the Sandgate Cemetery Trust and Mr Gary Mitchell.