Coo-ee Muster

I had heard of the Cooee muster but didnt know too much about it. Paying a visit to Gilgandra and there was the story.

Here was the statue in the middle of the town. This is a town that we have driven thru many many times heading north or south but because the highway bypasses it, have never actually been intot he town before. The highway cuts along to the South and just touches a little bit of it but there was so much more to it.

it was war time 1915 in France and Allied had taken a lot of casualties, recruitment numbers were down. The local butcher William Hitchen with his brother the local plumber felt the need to do something and they came up with a plan to march to Sydney and sign up to fight. Due to lack of money and poor roads, little transport, they had to walk, all 320 miles. Twenty six brave young men left Gilgandra, towns along the way held rallies and fed them when they came into town and usually a few from that town or area joined in the march. By the time they reached Sydney, there were 263 of them, all ready and willing to fight for their land and freedom.