STUDENTS from Springsure re-enacted a march which took place 100 years ago, to honour the veterans named on a monument in their school grounds.

Principal of Sprinsure State School Maria Hoare said two sculptures had also been added to the ANZAC garden which surrounds the fountain 330 kms west of Rockhampton.

“When the original unveiling took place, a platoon of soldiers travelled from Rockhampton to the Springsure Railway Station and then marched to the school,” she said.

“Some of those who marched on that day were those whose names appear on the fountain and who were fortunate enough to return to Australia following the war.”

During Friday’s ceremony, the names of the World War I soldiers on the fountain were read out, and students placed a poppy in the ground to remember them.

Some of the students are descendants of the soldiers named on the memorial fountain, the unveiling of which was reported in The Morning Bulletin on December 13, 1919.

TMB, Saturday 13 December 1919

One of the largest gatherings ever seen in Springsure took place in the grounds of the Springsure State School on Saturday last, to witness the unveiling of a marble fountain which has been erected in the grounds in honour of the past scholars of the school who enlisted for service in the Great War. Among those present were visitors from Rolleston, Gindie and Emerald.

The fountain is of Ulam marble on a concrete base.

The work was executed by Mr F. M. Allan, monumental mason in Rockhampton. There are 80-odd names on the fountain, but a few have to be added. The names of Mrs H. G. Wheeler (nee Annie Laurie), who has won great fame by her wonderful untiring work on behalf of the “boys”, appears first on the monument, followed by that of Nurse Squire, both past pupils of the school. Then follow the names of the boys in alphabetical order in two columns on three sides of the monument.

Mr Huxham (Minister for Public Instruction) congratulated those who were responsible on their commonsense and artistic taste. He had seen many ideas carried out to honour the boys in different parts of the state; but he had not seen anything that fitted the purpose so nicely as this beautiful marble fountain would do. The fountain was a work of art that would be always pleasing to look upon, and the names being cut into the stone and leaded, it would stand there in honour of the boys for all time. Others would do well to imitate Springsure in this matter.