50th Anniversary of the Coo-ee MarchPrint Page

The marker commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Coo-ee march. It marks the point where the Cooee March commenced, and where Gilgandra’s civic leaders made their final speeches to the volunteers.

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. 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.

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