The Shire of York’s ANZAC exhibition, Stories Remembering Them was launched on the eve of ANZAC Day 2018 by the Federal Member of Pearce Christian Porter.
Attended by local politicians, family members of service men and women, Shire of York and Northam staff and members of the public, the opening night unveiled the hard work of the public, collating information on the men and women from York who served in the first World War.
The exhibition was created by Shire of York staff in conjunction with guest curator and military history consultant Neville Browning OAM.
It is the largest ANZAC exhibition outside the National Anzac Centre in Albany and the Western Australian Army Museum in Fremantle.
Drawing from a range of resources including personal letters, photographs, oral histories and community records, this exhibition builds a picture of life from all angles – from experiences of the servicemen overseas; the role of women, nursing, and volunteering; the role of children; how the servicemen and their families coped after the war; and much more.
Lawrence McCarthy the VC winner, Indigenous servicemen and the hot topics of the day that divided the nation are all included.
A personal connection to York
Patty is the great niece of Lawrence McCarthy and said she has fond memories of the highly acclaimed war hero.
“He would always spoil us,” she said.
“I am one of five sisters and he made us all feel special.
“Despite everything he went through I remember him being a very caring man.”
Patty said she felt very honoured that she had personal memories of her time with her great uncle Lawrence and was proud that he was featured in the echibition.
Patty, who lives in Perth traveled to York for the opening night of the exhibition and was reunited with some of her sisters and cousins who also have a strong connection to their great uncles story.
Lawrence McCarthy
McCarthy who was born in York in 1892, was orphaned at a young age and brought up in Clontarf Orphanage in Perth.
He was posted to the 16th Battalion and landed at Gallipoli on 26 April 1915, where he remained on the peninsula until illness forced his evacuation in September.
McCarthy returned to duty in November and by June 1916 the 16th Battalion were in France where they took part in the fighting at Pozières and Mouquet Farm in August.
McCarthy was wounded at Bullecourt and evacuated to England where he spent three months in hospital and convalescing.
In November he was promoted to lieutenant and was awarded the French Croix de Guerre.
He spent the months between February and August 1918 training troops in England, before rejoining his battalion in time for the offensive that began on 8 August.
In August, McCarthy performed what some say is the most effective display of individual combat in the history of the AIF.
He and a sergeant attacked German machine-gun posts, capturing 460 metres of German trench and forcing the surrender of between forty and fifty Germans.
McCarthy was unscathed.
For this McCarthy was awarded the Victoria Cross.
The exhibition
The centrepiece of the exhibition is an art installation featuring one hundred life-size cut- outs of York men, women and children.
Many silhouettes were made by local residents in a series of community arts workshops during 2017.
Three dioramas are set up to display the scene for the Desert campaign, the Western Front and the Home Front, where you can see genuine WWI artefacts and memorabilia in showcased displays.
York’s ANZACS – Stories Remembering Them will be open seven days a week during the Visitor Centre opening hours of 9.30am-3.3.30pm with lunch closure of 12.30pm-1.30pm.
The exhibition has been funded by grants from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Community Arts Network WA, the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries and Lotterywest, the Remembering Them project co-ordinated by the WA Museum, Museums Australia, Lotterywest and the Royal Historical Society of WA, funding from the Shire of York, with in kind support from numerous local sponsors and businesses.