Sadness in the Countryside
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (340257)
Rockingham, Australia
January 16, 2017 4:14pm CST
We ran another house concert on Sunday evening in a decommissioned Western Australian country church which has recently been purchased in conjunction with a friend. After a series of mishaps which you can read about in a previous post, the concert itself went off beautifully. I'll write more about that later perhaps.
The road to the church leads past an old hall which now gets only an occasional use although it was once the centre of a busy, bustling community. There is the ubiquitous memorial there commemorating those who died during World War I.
There are 33 names on the memorial with another four added for World War II. I can't begin to imagine how the tone of the area would have changed with the loss of 33 of their young men.
29 people like this
33 responses
@JudyEv (340257)
• Rockingham, Australia
18 Jan 17
@AbbyGreenhill @jstory07 That's true. It is very pretty country there with rolling hills and a lot of dams and ponds.
@Happy2BeMe (99380)
• Canada
16 Jan 17
It would have had a huge impact to lose some many young men from one area. A lot of families would have been affected. Very sad.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (340257)
• Rockingham, Australia
18 Jan 17
@Happy2BeMe It would be a sad place wouldn't it?
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@Happy2BeMe (99380)
• Canada
18 Jan 17
@JudyEv So tragic. Can't even begin to imagine what that must have been like
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@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Jan 17
I never realized that the Australians got involved in WWI. But I guess they call it a world war for a reason! Sad that so many men from such a small community lost their lives.
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@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
23 Jan 17
@JudyEv Wow, that is certainly a lot of enlistments. Did those soldiers fight in Europe, or were there other theaters of action like there were in WWII?
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@JudyEv (340257)
• Rockingham, Australia
23 Jan 17
@moffittjc I'm sure these would have gone to Gallipoli and/or France. That's where we lost most of our soldiers.
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@JudyEv (340257)
• Rockingham, Australia
18 Jan 17
Australia had a population of less than 5 million at the time of WWI. Enlistments totalled 416,809; 60,000+ were killed and 156,000 wounded, gassed or taken prisoner. Every small town throughout Australia has a similar memorial with a similar number of names.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
17 Jan 17
I wonder whether the community began dying out after the war because they lost so many men, or whether people just began to migrate to other areas then? I know that years ago people mostly stayed in one area whereas nowadays the younger generation at least tends to stray a bit further from home before setting down their roots.
2 people like this
@Shellyann36 (11384)
• United States
17 Jan 17
@MarshaMusselman I have to wonder the same thing myself. That thought crossed my mind as well. Losing that many men in such a small area could be devastating for the families and of course the businesses.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (340257)
• Rockingham, Australia
18 Jan 17
I guess there were no young men to carry on working the farms so they were probably sold and amalgamated into larger properties. And yes, youngsters might have gone to the cities particularly if jobs were scarce during the Depression.
2 people like this
@MarymargII (12422)
• Toronto, Ontario
18 Jan 17
Yes, that is a sad thought especially so many in a relatively small rural area!
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@JudyEv (340257)
• Rockingham, Australia
22 Jan 17
@MarymargII There wouldn't have been many young men left in the area. Imagine the thoughts of those that were left. 
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@MarymargII (12422)
• Toronto, Ontario
21 Jan 17
@JudyEv Wow- must have wiped out their village! :(
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@allknowing (136588)
• India
17 Jan 17
Is there nothing one can do to bring some life to that place?
1 person likes this
@allknowing (136588)
• India
18 Jan 17
@JudyEv Suddenly out of the blue someone somewhere may find this place worth for a makeover.
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (50273)
• United States
18 Jan 17
I can not even imagine their loss and on such a large scale.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340257)
• Rockingham, Australia
18 Jan 17
I can imagine the whole area would be in mourning as the months dragged on.
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
16 Jan 17
that's a pretty little memorial
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
18 Jan 17
@JudyEv which is good, the overgrown or falling down ones make me sad
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@JudyEv (340257)
• Rockingham, Australia
19 Jan 17
@Jessicalynnt It's doubly sad if a cemetery is neglected - particularly one devoted to servicemen and women.
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@Shellyann36 (11384)
• United States
17 Jan 17
I am glad to hear that the concert was a success. The memorial is very nice. It is sad when any nation/town/city/ country loses their young to war.
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@xstitcher (32503)
• Petaluma, California
18 Jan 17
That looks like a nice little area.
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@JudyEv (340257)
• Rockingham, Australia
18 Jan 17
It is a pretty district with lots of rolling hills and pretty dams and ponds.
@GreatMartin (23672)
• Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
18 Jan 17
On another subject I saw a movie called "Lion" today--half of it takes place in Tasmania--they made it look absolutely gorgeous and I have a feeling their tourism will go way up--excellent film--Nicole Kidman very moving.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340257)
• Rockingham, Australia
18 Jan 17
Tasmania certainly has some beautiful scenery. It reminded me of Ireland. They have more rain there being south of the mainland and everything always seems to look fresh and clean.
@JudyEv (340257)
• Rockingham, Australia
18 Jan 17
I am glad you enjoyed reading about this and thank you for your comment.
@emilynn97 (22)
•
17 Jan 17
That's very interesting. Maybe the passing of the 33 and 4 passings of these men is the reason why the town is no longer so busy?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (340257)
• Rockingham, Australia
18 Jan 17
There has never really been a town there but the small community would have held dances and celebrations at the hall. Losing so many young men would have been devastating for the area.
