IN THE wake of World War I, returning diggers were promised a share in a land “fit for heroes”.
This was especially true in the countryside, where the federal government bought large rural holdings and converted them to smaller allotments to encourage family farmers to set up a livelihood on the land.
But despite the promise of prosperous farms, contented families and thriving regional development, the Closer and Soldier Settlement scheme was largely a failure.
Girgarre RSL, in the Goulburn Valley, has unveiled a commemorative wall just up from the town cenotaph featuring details of the settlers, the allotment numbers, the schemes and the difficulties settlers faced.
The panels show how more than 12,000 returned servicemen took advantage of the scheme in Victoria, despite only one in five having had any farming experience. Most were, in fact, city dwellers.
While some were able to build a home, others were less fortunate as the burden of loan repayment and poor crop yields forced them to live in tents or in homes made of canvas or hessian bags.
Those less suited to the task soon began to relinquish their blocks. Those who succeeded became the pioneer farmers in their local districts.
About 150 people attended the unveiling in February, including many descendants of the pioneering farmers. One of them was Anne Bebbington of Tatura, a grandchild of Joe Bebbington, whose story is told on the wall.
Girgarre RSL secretary John Crilly, the grandson of settler Jack Neale, paid tribute to locals Athol McDonald and Jenny Wadelton and the Living History Group whose research provided much of the material on the display.
