The first ANZAC Day is celebrated in Moreland, April 1916

The Australasian, Saturday 29 April 1916, p.49. The caption reads 'Anzac Day amongst the State Schools: Brigadier-General R.E. Williams addressing 1,400 scholars at North Park Reserve, Brunswick on April 20.'

This was the first Anzac Day and a number of newspapers reported on the Moreland State School commemorations. The Brunswick and Coburg Leader proclaimed it a 'colossal affair', and it seems that it was. The day started at the school with ceremonies on the school site then the teachers and students headed down to North Park Reserve for an impressive ceremony. The VIPs present included the Lord Mayor Sir David Hennessy, Brigadier-General R.E. Williams and Frank Tate, the Director of Education. That evening, back at the school, there was a musical evening for parents and relatives of past scholars who had enlisted.

There were ceremonies in other parts of what we now call Moreland. At 10.30 am that day, the recently opened Brunswick Technical School held its commemoration, with special guests the Mayor and Mayoress of Brunswick, Mr and Mrs Balfe. It was reported that Brunswick Tech was the only technical school in Victoria to celebrate Anzac Day.

Much further north, at Campbellfield State School, the children took part in what sounds like a celebration more than a commemoration. There were flags for each child, fireworks, sweets and nuts. The emphasis seemed to be on whipping up patriotic fervour rather than solemn reflection. (It was still three months before the huge loss of life at Fromelles.)

The Education Department took its role in supporting the war effort very seriously and struck an Anzac Medal for the occasion, planning to sell it to children on the day for sixpence then distribute it to the public at the cost of one shilling. The money raised would go towards the war effort.

Age, 19 April 1916

Sources:
Age, 19 April 1916
Australasian, 29 April 1916, 6 May 1916
Brunswick and Coburg Leader, 14 April 1916, 28 April 1916, 5 May 1916
Punch, 20 April 1916

Private A.A. Vial of DeCarle Street, Coburg

Herald, 19 May 1917

Arnold Vial and his brother Clarence both served in World War One, but as you see from this article, Arnold served with the South African Rifles and although I have not found proof, it seems likely that Clarence did, too. And because I have not found a post-war trail for Clarence, it may be that he died during the war, but I don't know that for sure.

The Vial brothers and their three sisters were born in the rugged tin mining area of Waratah on Tasmania's north-west coast to Samuel Vial and his second wife Harriet Bell. Not long after the birth of the fifth child, Clarence, father Samuel Vial disappeared to South Africa for a year or two before returning to Tasmania in November 1899. 

Four years later the parents divorced and a month after that Samuel Vial left Melbourne for Cape Town with three of his children - Mabel, Lily and Arnold. 

From then until the WW1 years there was a constant toing and froing of family members between Cape Town and Coburg. In 1910 Samuel married a third time in South Africa then his daughter Mabel also married there, so although the boys must have spent some of their school days at Moreland State School (their names are recorded on the school's Honour Board) their family ties were now firmly placed in South Africa.

After the war Arnold married and had four children. His father Samuel and step-mother Elizabeth lived in Witbank (now known as Emalahleni), in a coal-mining area east of Pretoria. Samuel died in 1946 aged 91. It is not known when either of his sons died.

Moreland Grove 'fayre' to raise funds for the Coburg Red Cross, 1917

Punch, 29 November 1917

Held at the Pavilion in Moreland Grove (now The Grove), the 'fayre' ran over three days and raised funds for the Coburg Branch of the Red Cross. Hopefully these stallholders had a very busy time and raised lots of money.

There were more photos of this event published in Punch, 27 December 1917. These are just some of them.

Mrs A. Wood (President), Mrs J.H. Ward (Vice President) and a group of early Victorians.

Mrs Rudrum's Flower Stall.

Mrs Hunter's Produce Stall

Mrs A. Wood (President) was very much involved in patriotic activities in the Coburg area. She had four sons at the Front. You can read about her war here and here. 

Mrs J.H. Ward's son Leslie, a stretcher bearer, was injured on 23 January 1917 about six weeks later. Mrs Ward's given names were Mary Jane. She's identified here by her husband's initials (he was John Henry), which was the custom then, unless a woman was a widow when she used her own initials. You can read more about her contribution to the war effort here.

Mrs Edith Rudrum's son Carl served and survived the war. He began  as Lieutenant Arthur Carl Rudrum, 8th Infantry Brigade Train and later was promoted to Captain in the 5th Divisional Train, ASC. You can read more about Edith Rudrum's contribution to the war effort here.

Mrs Lavinia Hunter's sons Norman and Leslie were in the navy. Norman served on HMAS Sydney and witnessed the sinking of the Emden. You can read about that here. 

Norman Powell, athlete-aviator

Winner, 9 May 1917

255 Private Thomas Henry Norman Powell, began his war as a member of the 2nd Field Ambulance. He was discharged from the AIF in 1917 to join the Royal Flying Corps so that he could become a pilot. 

He was appointed 2nd Lieutenant when he graduated as a pilot on 16 March 1917 and died on 24 April 1917 in an accident. 

His dossier records that he died from ‘a fracture of the skull caused from falling from an aeroplane.’ The press version was that he was flying at Northolt Airfield, Ruislip, Middlesex, lost control of his aircraft and crashed. (Bendigo Advertiser, 30 April 1917, p.8)

Norman Powell's mother Sarah worked tirelessly for the Sailors and Soldiers Mothers Association from the early 1920s. You can read about her post-war activities here.

You can read more about the Australian Flying Corps here.

The Coburg Harriers Athletics Club was established in 1896 and still exists. You can read about its history here.