World War One - Its Soldiers and Their Towns

This page will attempt to list the growing number of books which provide biographies of the service men and women who served in World War One, organised around their home towns and suburbs. It won't be looking at the various state and national databases and projects but rather at those focused on the town and suburb level. There are also a number of school and organisation based books, which may be included.

Stockton Historical Society member Michelle Watson is currently undertaking a work to document the stories of the men and women of Stockton who served in World War One and also the impact of the war on the community.

Published

NSW

  • Alstonville - "They Served Us Well" by Ian Kirkland (2015)
  • Bega Valley - "Remembering Bega Valley Servicemen of World War 1 – Battlefield and War Related Deaths" by Bega Valley Genealogy Society, 2014. NOTE: Only has information on those who died, not ALL service people.
  • Blacktown - "Diggers From the Shire of Blacktown: 1914-1918" by Blacktown & District Historical Society.
  • Bulahdelah - "Bulahdelah Boys - Family and Mates in the Great War" by Bulahdelah War Memorial Trust.
  • Cobar - - "From the Far West to the Western Front : Cobar and the Great War" by Kay Stingemore
  • Ku-ring-gai - "Rallying the troops : a World War I commemoration. Volume 1" by Ku-ring-gai Historical Society Inc - http://www.khs.org.au/rallying_the_troops.html
  • Gunnedah - "In The Line of Fire – Gunnedah and District’s Role in the Great War" by Ron McLean (Gunnedah & District Historical Society, 2014)
  • Hill End and Tambaroora - "Golden Diggers: Hill End & Tambaroora District’s Contribution to the First World War." by Helen Wood & Lorraine Purcell. Hill End & Tambaroora Gathering Group
  • Lithgow - "A Long March from Lithgow" by Helen Taylor, 2014. (Lithgow & District Family History Society Inc)
  • Maitland -  "Maitland's Gallipoli Campaign" by Maitland & District Genealogical Society Inc.
  • Nambucca - "Nambucca Anzacs: Servicemen and Women of the Nambucca District in the First World War, 1914-1918, and Beyond" by Trevor Lynch (Longueville Media, 2013)
  • Port Stephens - "Their Story: Service, Sacrifice and Support, 1914-1924" by John Gillam and Yvonne Fletcher (Bookpal, 2014)
  • Ryde - "Ryde Goes to War" by  Ryde District Historical Society, May 2015
  • Seaham - "Soldiers & Memorials of Seaham: World War One" by Moira Saunderson (Raymond Terrace, N.S.W. : Raymond Terrace Historical Society, 2004)
  • Sutherland (Shire) - "Service and Sacricifice: Sutherland Shire Memorials, 1914 -1918" by Marilyn Handley and Suzanne Hewitt.
  • Tomarree "ANZACS of the Tomarree Peninsula, NSW" by the Tomarree Family History Group Nelson Bay NSW Inc.
  • Walcha - "Walcha in The Great War 1914-1919" Walcha & District Historical Society, 2014

Victoria

  • Ballarat - "They Answered Their Country's Call" -  NOTE: about those from the district who served during the First World War who are buried in Ballarat's two cemeteries or named on memorials within those cemeteries. - Ballarat Cemeteries Trust
  • Ballarat - "Our Bravest - SPC Old Boys in the wars – Volume I: The Great War (1914-1918) by Catriona Banks (St Patrick's College)
  • Blackburn, Mitcham, Nunawading and Vermont - "For God, King and country, The Great War 1914-1919 : they answered the call : a salute to the Blackburn, Mitcham, Nunawading and Vermont volunteers"  by  Shirley Devery (Blackburn, Victoria : Australian Institute of Genealogical Studies Inc, 2014)
  • Brunswick - "Our Anzacs: A Scrapbook of Brunswick WW1" by Laurie Cunningham and Laura Donati - http://moreland.hosting.libero.com.au/documents/Our-Anzacs-A-Scrapbook-of-Brunswick-WWI.pdf
  • Chelsea - "Those Who Served and Died in World War One" by Chelsea & District Historical Society Inc
  • Horsham - "Strewth! An Insight inot Local Involvement in World War One" by Horsham Historical Society Inc. (Note: This doesn't have bios of all service people, 1000 of 2500 have bios).
  • Keilor - "Keilor’s Anzac Memory" by Keilor Historical Society, 2015.
  • Knox - “Knox Anzacs 1914 – 1918” by Ray Peace - Knox Historical Society - http://home.vicnet.net.au/~khsinc/pub.html
  • Talbot - "In Memoriam - Talbot's Great War 1914-1918" by Marie Kau (Talbot Arts & Historical Museum)
  • Traralgon - "Traralgon's Anzacs" - by Elizabeth Anne McDonald - http://au.blurb.com/b/5797155-traralgon-s-anzacs?ebook=508431

Western Australia

  •  Fremantle - "Fremantle Voices of the Great War: History of Fremantle people who served in the Great War of 1914-1919" by Andrew Pittaway

Queensland

  •  Toowoomba - "Into the Breach: AIF Volunteers from Middle Ridge in WW1" by Ron J. Towson (Middle Ridge State School in Toowoomba)

In Production

New South Wales

  • Armidale - "Armidale and the First World War" by Armidale Dumaresq Council

Victoria

  • Violet Town - "Violet Town's Lads and Lasses Great War Heroes" by Violet Town RSL Sub-branch

Tasmania

  • Browns River - publish a booklet on the men and women from the Browns River district who served in the First World War by Browns River History Group

Websites

These have extensive lists or databases of those who served from a specific suburb or town.

NSW

Victoria

Queensland



26 comments:

  1. Congratulations on taking up the challenge and starting this list, Michelle. It is a much needed resource. I can already see that I need to contact Cobar Shire Council.

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  2. So I contacted Cobar Council who promptly passed my message on to the Cobar Museum. They had included my Grandfather, Frank Duncan, in their publication but did not have my Grandmother's first husband, (who enlisted under a false name because he was a deserter from the British Navy). John Bertram Chatfield aka John Williams will now be included in the publication.

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    1. Jill - great news!! It's always gratifying when a resource produces positive results!!

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  3. I have been told that there is a project re biographies of World War 1 soldiers mentioned on headstones in Balmoral/Bulimba cemetery in Brisbane, Queensland, but I don't have any details - sorry.

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    1. Judy - Thanks for the heads up, I will see what I can track down!

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  4. I think the Alstonville Plateau Historical Society is producing a book on WW1 soldiers from the Ballina Shire, NSW. Not sure if it has been published or not.

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    1. Thanks, Tanya!! I've added this one to the list. Thanks for the heads up.

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    2. The book is being launched at Alstonville RSL on 19 April by Rt Hon. Dr Brian Pezzutti at 2pm.It contains almost 800 soldiers from Tintenbar Shire (Ballina Shire minus Ballina). RRP $35

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  5. And here's another http://fightingthekaiser.blogspot.com

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  6. Thanks, Jill. I've added that one to the list.

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  7. And another from Orange NSW http://www.centenaryww1orange.com.au/

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    1. Thanks, Jill. This one is very good. I've added it to the list.

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  8. Gold Coast Libraries in Qld have a project on HistoryPin
    https://www.historypin.org/en/explore/first-world-war-centenary/memories-for-a-new-generation/the-gold-coast-and-the-great-war/geo/-28.021075,153.391113,9/bounds/-29.221699,152.341919,-26.806912,154.440307/paging/1

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  9. AIGS in Victoria published 'For God King and Country, They Answered the Call: a Salute to the Blackburn, Mitcham, Nunawading and Vermont Volunteers' by Shirley Devery, Link at http://www.aigs.org.au/

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  10. Hi All

    Fiona from the Portside Local here. I am looking at running a series of stories in April on those who served in WWI and were residents of Stockton, Fern Bay, Carrington, Wickham/Maryville and Newcastle East. If you would like to share please email portsidelocal@hotmail.com

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  11. And yet another http://shireatwar.com/

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  12. And another from Bega Valley http://bvgenealogy.webhive.com.au/world-war-1-book-launch/

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  13. I was speaking to some people from Ryde at SAG yesterday. They will be publishing a printed publication from their Ryde goes to War research in May 2015.

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  14. Have you seen this from Maitland? http://www.maitlandmercury.com.au/story/2914914/faces-of-anzacs-is-a-poignant-tribute/?cs=171

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  15. And another book launch http://mooneevalleyfamilylocalhistory.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/keilors-anzac-memory-book-launch-this.html

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  16. Great resource thank you.
    A contact beside each would make it even better 😀

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  17. Ballarat book launch.
    http://www.thecourier.com.au/story/2986684/research-unearths-diggers-untold-stories/

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  18. Hornsby's website is live http://www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/library/resources-and-research/local-history/war-memorials

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