BEFORE all hell broke loose on the other side of the world a century ago, there were 17 men who swam in the Margaret River, picnicked at the beach and worked the paddocks where we've built our homes.
They walked the tracks we now drive on. Most went to church. One taught at the Margaret River School, another grew tobacco "just for fun".
In those early days of Margaret River, life could be pretty harsh. But compared to what awaited them, home was some kind of paradise. As we move towards the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings Anzac Day 2015, the Mail will bring the stories of our local Anzacs to life.
Over the next 17 weeks, with the help of local researcher Pauline Graves, the Mail will bring you the personal stories behind the 17 names which appeared on the honour board in Trinders School at the end of the "Great War".
Some we know a lot about, others very little. And that's where we need our readers' help.
Through her diligent research for the Margaret River and Districts Historical Society, Ms Graves has sourced photographs, letters, army records, diary entries and personal effects for a very special exhibition.
With the help of the WA Museum, the exhibit promises to be a fascinating, comprehensive and important local feature of the region's Anzac Centenary commemoration. It will be staged at the Bramley School building, Old Margaret River Settlement, Bussell Highway.
To complete this research and provide the most thorough story possible, Ms Graves is asking readers to contact her with any knowledge of information, photographs, memories or memorabilia they might have in relation to these men and their families.
The 17 names which appear on the World War II honour board included the names of 15 active servicemen and a further two who worked in the munitions division.
The original honour board which hung in the old Trinders School, Margaret River, from 1919 disappeared some years ago. Recently, with the help of a grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Margaret River and Districts Historical Society commissioned a replica board, which now hangs in the Bramley School building and is pictured here.
The Mail looks forward to bringing you the stories of our Anzacs over the coming months.
If you can help flesh out the stories relating to any of the names on the honour board, pictured above, please contact Ms Graves on 0418576402 or email pushing_60@hot mail.com.
