Arthur Newland returned to Australia in August 1919 the recipient of both the Military Medal and the Distinguished Conduct Medal earned for bravery and devotion to duty in France in 1918.
He arrived with over 1000 other soldiers on the Orita, and was met by the Parramatta welcome committee and “ borne home by car triumphantly.”
Later that month his parents arranged a welcome home attended by some 200 friends and family at the Galston School of Arts when he was given a gold Albert chain and sovereign purse, a gold ring with his battalion colours gifted from his sister, and a gold ring from his Glenorie friends.
He was discharged from the army in September 1919 and confirmation was then received he was entitled to a gratuity of £20 for his DCM.
In August 1920 he married Margaret (nee Scot) at Dural Methodist Church. Thirteen months later Newland was involved in a shunting accident at Hornsby railway yards, and died of his injuries at North Shore hospital on 17 September 1922 aged 28.
He was buried at the Uniting Church cemetery, Derriwong Road, Dural and is remembered by the inscription “…beloved husband of Margaret Newland and father of Wee Peggy… in his 28th year…”
Margaret placed a notice in the local paper thanking the railway men of Hornsby, and the Returned Soldiers and Citizens of Hornsby and Galston, for their monetary assistance informing them she planned to leave in February 1923 to return to Scotland to be with her parents.
Image of former Arcadia Brass Band
Hornsby Shire Historical Society has enlisted the support and help of Dural Historical Society to research what life was like c1918 -1928 in Hornsby Shire for the returning First World War Servicemen. From information provided by Dural Historical Society is seems that many local men were welcomed home at public occasions where the Arcadia Brass Band played. Despite our combined efforts neither society has been able to locate a photograph of the band. Would any Community News reader have a photograph that can be scanned and sent to secretaryhshs@gmail. com asap. If any reader has photographs of any family celebration where WWl serviceman were welcomed home copies of that very special occasion would be appreciated. Any photograph or photographs used by the Hornsby Shire Historical Society will be acknowledged to the donor.
Copies of the society’s journal Local Colour will be available from the museum in Kenley Road Normanhurst on Tuesdays between 10 and 2 commencing Tuesday 20th November at a cost of $12.
For further information about the HSHS please contact Patricia 9980 6329 or [email protected]
Local History
Your day may start with your thoughts, just planning what you may achieve. Well I made a visit to History Cottage, the home of Dural and District Historical Society. The visit had me interested in some of the past history of our local area. Reading through some material gave me some very interesting thoughts of the people of the past.
One can just think of the time when there was no water or electricity in the Galston area, that was not long ago. There must be people in the area who wonder how the streets got their names. I have thoughts of when a local, Mr Norm Wright, told me of the fires in the local area. As a child I saw many burnt out houses. A very large amount of Koalas were wiped out in those fires. I read an article that told me 19 homes were destroyed by that fire in about 1939.
Other information tells me of a well known family in the area who were ship builders. Yes, the ship builders who built Captain Cook’s Endeavour. Looking at the past can be a big help for our future and how we prepare for it. Make some history time available, and call into History Cottage.
History Cottage is next to the park on Galston Road.
By Norm Sumner, Berrilee
