To promote the Memorial Rose Garden, and to highlight stories behind the individuals or groups on the plaques, the Walkway is pleased to feature ‘Stories from the Plaques’, written by the Walkway’s Project Officer John Hall.
No. 1 Joe Rorkin (Rovkin): a young man (aged only 16) born halfway around the world, who chose to fight for his adopted country, but that action lead to his untimely death.
No. 2 James and Edley Simmonds: two inseparable brothers from the Forbes district who enlisted, fought and sadly died together on the Track.
No. 3 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander servicemen: in NAIDOC Week, we remember some First Nations individuals who served with distinction on the Track.
No. 4 LTCOL Clara (Clare) Shumack AANS: For over three and a half years, Matron Shumack lead the nursing staff on the AHS Manunda, which brought ill and wounded back to Australia during the war, including many from the Kokoda campaigns. But it was not without great personal risk.
No. 5 The ‘Sallymen’: Salvation Army Officers: Salvation Army Officers established their ‘Hop In’ centres along the Track, earning the respect of the weary troops. John McCabe and Albert Moore typified the work of the ‘Salvos’ during the Kokoda campaign (and beyond).
No. 6 Victoria Cross (VC) Recipients: Jim Gordon and Richard Kelliher: In this series on VC recipients with plaques or information boards at the Walkway (all had a direct/other connection with the SW Pacific campaign), read the brave actions taken by Jim Gordon (in Syria) and Richard Kelliher (at Lae).