SOME of the returned World War I soldiers awarded settler blocks in the Natya, Kooloonong and Boundary Bend area “lasted only five minutes”.
Despite surviving the horrors of war, the prospect of clearing sandy blocks of mallee scrub so they could grow crops or raise livestock was so daunting they fled on the next train.
But many of the soldier settlers who arrived in 1919 and 1920 stayed, and were later joined by others keen to try their luck.
The launch of a book chronicling the history of settlement in the area will be one of the highlights of next month’s three-day centenary celebrations.
The back-to celebration, delayed for two years by the pandemic, will highlight the transformation of the area from a wild frontier characterised by scrub, sand and rabbits to the land of plenty it is today.
Geraldine Murdoch’s father-in-law Charles Murdoch wasn’t one of the original soldier settlers, but he wasn’t far behind them, moving to the area in 1927 and buying a second block cheaply from a neighbour who’d had enough.
Geraldine and husband Gordon were among a group of locals who were keen to mark the centenary.
“We needed to do something about it,” she said.
“We need to document history because, once history is gone, it’s gone forever.”
So they called a meeting, set up committees, gained support from Landcare to publish a book – son Alistair Murdoch is president of the local group and wrote the foreword – and planned for a celebration.
Written by Adam McNicol, the book Land of Plenty is based on a series of more than 30 interviews conducted by Lyndel Caffrey, as well as information from war archives and public records, and includes both historical photos and new photos by Erin Jonasson.
Mrs Murdoch said some of the stories were amazing, and she felt for the wives raising their large families in tents and humpies on a diet of wild rabbits – or fish, if they were near enough to the Murray River.
“Eventually they might have got a sheep or two,” she said.
“It’s quite daunting to think how these ladies survived. They did it very, very tough.”
But it wasn’t all about hard work. As the communities grew, the people made time for recreation – the men dusting themselves off after football for the Saturday night dance where, lit by kerosene lamps, couples glided across the boards to music from talented locals such as pianist Stan “The Music Man” Edelsten.
The three-day celebration kicks off October 14 with an evening meet-and-greet at Tooleybuc Sporting Club.
Other activities include a bus and self-drive tour, the official book launch, dinner and live music at the Tooleybuc-Manangatang Football Netball Club rooms, and private visits to local farms.
Memorabilia will be on display in the Burgundy Room at the Tooleybuc Sporting Club over the weekend.
More information is available from the Natya-Kooloonong-Boundary Bend History and Heritage Facebook page.
Bookings are essential before October 7. Email nkbbreunion@gmail.com or call Mrs Murdoch on 0429 438 215.
