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100th Anniversary of the Coo-ee MarchPrint Page 
The sculpture commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Coo-ee march. The sculpture is a statue of an Australian soldier cupping his hands to shout out "Coo-ee."
Following the disaster of Gallipoli and the heavy casualties in France in the latter half of 1915, recruiting figures for enlistment in World War One had dwindled. Numerous recruiting rallies became increasingly ineffective. It was at this dark hour that Gilgandra's butcher, R.G. Hitchen and his brother Bill, the local plumber, had the idea of organising a route march of volunteers to Sydney, enlisting recruits as they marched.
Twenty five men left Gilgandra on the 10th October 1915. A further ten Gilgandra men joined the march along the way. They were feted at each town on the route, and the stirring story of their march has become part of the official war history of Australia. Recruitment meetings were held in each centre and their number increased to 263 by the time they reached Sydney on the 12th December 1915.
Note: Cooee is a shout originated in Australia to attract attention, find missing people, or indicate one's own location.
Coo ee March 1915Location
| Address: | Miller Street, Gilgandra, 2827 |
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| State: | NSW |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -31.711049 Long: 148.669147 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Sculpture |
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| Monument Theme: | Conflict |
| Sub-Theme: | WW1 |
| Actual Event Start Date: | 10-October-1915 |
| Actual Event End Date: | 10-October-2015 |
| Artist: | Brett Garling |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Saturday 25th April, 2015 |
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In recognition of the 35 men who left Gilgandra in 1915 and their eternal footprint on the history of our community and our nation
In commemoration of the 100 year anniversary of the Coo-ee March 1915 - 2015
Unveiled on 25th April 2015
Artist Brett Garling
