Honor Auchinleck, Corryong Courier

Last Wednesday in Wodonga the Chauvel Australian Light Horse Memorial Ride made an impressive arrival followed by endurance rider Pat Leary and Wodonga Mayor, Cr Michael Gobel, unveiling the memorial plaque at the old Wodonga Railway Station.

The plaque commemorates the Light Horse and those from Wodonga and the surrounding districts and their horses that changed trains at the original station. The mainline trains took them on their onward journeys to military training at Maribyrnong and Broadmeadows.

Later on the same day, small groups gathered at the Albury War Memorial in the half hour or so before the midday Service for the Fallen.

Suzanne O’Brien, who has a beautiful voice and a wonderful repertoire of WWI songs, was singing when the riders rounded the corner, escorted by WWII Jeeps, to make their way through the bush-lined road leading to the War Memorial.

The ride is a tribute to all those who served in both world wars and other conflicts who came from regional Australia to serve their country.

Albury Mayor, Cr Kevin Mack, spoke with pride about the Albury War Memorial being one of the finest regional war memorials, signifying the city’s role in the defence of the nation.

Cr Mack also spoke about the ‘Sandy the Warhorse’ Memorial in Tallangatta.

He also recalled his association with the Light Horse during the time when his father worked for Tom and Elyne Mitchell at Towong Hill. Elyne was General Sir Harry Chauvel’s elder daughter. Cr Mack paid tribute to the work of the General Sir Harry Chauvel Memorial Foundation before individually thanking the riders.

The Twin City – Albury – Wodonga commemorative landscape is unique in the combination of its similarities and differences but for all their differences, both cities did the Memorial Ride proud.

Where Wodonga’s War Memorial is the older of the two having been unveiled on 19 November 1924, Albury War Memorial was unveiled just weeks short of 100 years ago on ANZAC Day, 25 April 1925.

An information board gives a moving contemporary description of the event:

‘The night was perfect – clear weather and no moon. The crowd gathered at the junction of Dean and Garden Streets.

The main speaker was General John Jackson Pine who switched off the street lighting. A bugler, half way up the hill, played the last post in the darkness and as the sound died away, a hidden electrician brought the lights on slowly and the Memorial came into view, high above the crowd and floating on air.

It was a solemn and inspiring sight.’

Perhaps it symbolised the spirit of those AIF men unable return to home in an earthly form and whose legacies are captured and preserved in photographs as aide-memoire.

For those interested in the story of Albury’s famous War Memorial, Justin Clancy MP, Member for Albury, will be launching former Border Mail journalist, Howard Jones’ book Mud, Blood & Tears: 100 Amazing Stories From Albury War Memorial.

The launch will take place on Saturday 5 April from 11.00am to 12.00pm at the Library Museum in Kiewa Street Albury. Entry is free but booking is essential.

The Corryong War Memorial marks its centenary a year later on 30 December, 2026.

It will be interesting to see what other pieces of regional Light Horse heritage the memorial ride highlights before the troop arrives at Tintaldra on 9 April.

There will be a Service for the Fallen at 6pm at the Tintaldra Avenue of Honour. If you want to meet and hear more about the Memorial Ride, stop by at the Tintaldra Pub for a drink.

A short service will be held at 11am on 14 April at the Cudgewa War Memorial, launching the ride on the final stretch over Keelangie to Tallangatta.

This leg of the ride commemorates those from the Upper Murray who rode their horses to enlist in old Tallangatta and to catch the train to Wodonga and onwards to training and embarkation for the battlefronts in northern France and Palestine. The ride finishes at the Sandy the Warhorse Memorial in Tallangatta on 16 April where there will be a service at 12pm.

This article appeared in Corryong Courier, 20 March 2025.