1st Light Horse Regiment & Headquarters 8th DivisionPrint Page

The memorial commemorate the 1st Light Horse Regiment and Headquarters 8th Division who trained on the site prior to embarkation in both World Wars. The memorial was restored and rededicated in 1990.

The memorial has been refurbished and on the 3rd November 2018 a plaque was added to the memorial to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the victory of the charge of the 4th Light Horse Brigade at Beersheba. Funding for the plaque was received in 2018 through the Armistice Centenary Grants Program. 

The 1st Light Horse Regiment was raised, from recruits from New South Wales, at Rosebery Park in Sydney in August 1914. It was one of three regiments of the 1st Light Horse Brigade - the first mounted formation committed by Australia to the First World War.

The charge of Beersheba by the Australian Light Horse took place on 31 October 1917, during the third Battle of Gaza in Palestine. It was a vital component of the allied forces’ campaign to secure the Sinai Peninsula and ensure the shipping corridors along the Suez Canal remained open to Britain and its allies.

The commanders of the allied forces turned their focus to Beersheba, a town at the end of the Turkish defensive line. Although the majority of the Turkish forces were stationed in Gaza, the 1000 Turkish rifleman in Beersheba had strong defensive positions and were supported by nine machine guns and two aircraft.

To maintain the element of surprise, the 40,000-strong Desert Mounted Corps made the dusty 43km-trek toward Beersheba under the cover of darkness on 30 October 1917. They attacked at dawn the following day, starting with an offensive at Sakati to close the road and halt Turkish reinforcements. The troops then progressed to Tel El Saba, 3km east of Beersheba, but were met with fierce resistance from the Turkish forces.

The Desert Mounted Corps captured Tel El Saba by mid-afternoon, however this left few hours of daylight for the assault on Beersheba. They had to take this town before nightfall, as its wells were the only source of water available in the region and the troops had not resupplied in several days.

On Saturday 3 November, the Botany Historical Trust and Bayside Council will unveil a plaque at the Light Horse Memorial in Eastlakes to mark the 100th anniversary of the victory of the charge of the 4th Light Horse Brigade at Beersheba. The Light Horse Battalion assembled, trained and left for World War I from Rosebery Racecourse, which was located in Eastlakes at the site now known as Light Horse Reserve. BHT President Anne Slattery said the unveiling would be celebrated with a small service and wreath laying ceremony starting at 1.00pm and members of the community were invited join council representatives and members of the BHT to pay their respects, should they wish. Bayside Mayor Bill Saravinovski said, “Council is proud to partner with the Botany Historical Society to commemorate the charge of the Light Horse Brigade at the Battle of Beersheba that took place on the 31 October 1917. It was one of those defining moments in history – a great victory – which we must never forget.” Following the unveiling and wreath laying service, there will be a history talk on the book Postings from the Front: City of Botany Bay and World War 1 in the Alf Kay Eastlakes Community Hall adjacent to the park in Florence Avenue, from 2.00pm to 4.00pm. BHT President Anne Slattery co-wrote the book together with the Bayside Local History staff Jenny MacRitchie and Paula Grunseit. All three will discuss their journey and findings while writing the book. Funding for the plaque was obtained by the BHT through the Federal Government’s Centenary Grant Program. 
Bayside Council Media Release, 22 October 2018. 

Location

Address:	Florence & Evans Avenues, Florence Avenue Reserve, Eastlakes, 2018
State:	NSW
Area:	AUS
GPS Coordinates:	Lat: -33.92533 Long: 151.214665 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.

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Details

Monument Type:	Monument
Monument Theme:	Conflict
Sub-Theme:	Multiple

Dedication

Source: MA