By KATH GANNAWAY
GALLIPOLI Park: For decades the Anzac Day march in Marysville has finished at the park which bears the name of a place revered over numerous lifetimes and thousands of miles away.
Up until 2009, it was a little known, local tribute to a light-horseman named Alexander Henry White.
The story of how Gallipoli Park became a place or last resort … a life-saving haven for around 70 people in the hell fire of Black Saturday was told around the world.
The name Gallipoli had a renewed reverence on a different level.
For Marysville historian, Mary Kenealy, Gallipoli Park in the post war, post fire era, is a place of peace.
No doubt that’s how Alex’s brother, Joe would have wanted it.
He and Alex followed their father into the malting business at Wandouree Malt House, supplying hops and malt to Carlton United Breweries.
Joe had a holiday house at Marysville and owned a large tract of land on both sides of the Steavenson River.
Alex became a citizen-soldier in 1904 with the Victorian Mounted Rifles in Ballarat. By 1914 he was Brigade Major in the 5th Light Horse and rose through the ranks to command the 8th Light Horse Regiment.
He was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel and embarked for Egypt in command of the 3rd Light Horse.
At 4.30am on 7 August 1915, the Light Horse mounted a bayonet charge at the Nek, Gallipoli.
“When they got to Gallipoli, they weren’t able to use their horses,” Mary explained.
“They were sent in on foot at the Battle of the Nek.”
Lt Col White was killed close to his trench.
In the early 1920s, Joe donated his land to the Marysville community as a reserve and named it Gallipoli Park in memory of his brother.
The Park has another special connection.
For many years, the Turkish Association in Melbourne has had its annual picnic at Gallipoli Park.
“It’s a place of peace, and that’s important,” Mary said.
“In remembering a name that is so identified with war, we are actually celebrating peace.”
Marysville will especially honour its WWI servicemen on Anzac Day this year.
Among them will be Leonard Joseph Lawlor who died on 25 April 1915 at Gallipoli. He was 21.
His brother Robert will also be remembered, killed in Belgium on 4 October 1917, and also 21.
Reginald Woods was head teacher at Marysville State School during 1914 and up until he enlisted on 12 April 1915. He died in Gallipoli on 28 November 1915, aged 21 years old.
Another school teacher, Charles Gordon Campbell taught from 1911 to 1915 at Buxton State School. He was 25 when he was killed in Belgium on 11 March 1918.
Creighton Elliott was born in Marysville and enlisted on 15 March 1915. He was 23 when he was killed in France on 2 July 1915 – less than six months after wearing the uniform.
