Memorial for Australia's Last Warhorse

(Left) Friends of Sandy and the Australian Light Horses honorary secretary, Alan Ross, at the site believed to be Sandy's grave

Photograph: David Smith

Story:  Maribyrnong Leader

Maribyrnong, Victoria, residents have closed in on the possible location of the unmarked grave of the only horse to return home from World War I.

 

Major-General William Bridges’ horse Sandy lived out his final years at the Remount Depot at the Maribyrnong Defence Site after being the sole horse of 169,000 to be brought home from combat.

 

Friends of Sandy and the Australian Light Horses honorary secretary Alan Ross told the Leader the group had been working for many years to ensure a memorial to Sandy was included in the redevelopment of the disused site.

And with time running out until the massive remediation project removing tons of contaminated soil, Mr Ross believes he knows the grave’s location.

 

Former resident Lance Baddeley, whose father served at the site, drew a map marking Sandy’s grave which Mr Ross has cross-checked with others who know the area well.

 

“He puts it very close to the Maribyrnong Community Centre, on the corner of Randall St and Raleigh Rd and it could well be under a road,” he said.

 

Mr Ross said since State Government developer VicUrban announced it would honour the mount, they had been pushing for more information.

 

“We’re in touch with people who’ve built similar memorials and we’ve got examples of what could be done so it’s not just wishful thinking, we’ve got a few runs on the board.  We need to make sure the history associated with the horses is remembered for future generations.”

 

Westgate Community Initiatives Group work experience leader Andrew McDermott said young people had been helping to fix up the Maribyrnong Community Centre as part of the National Green Jobs Corps and were in the process of creating a garden setting and rock memorial to honour Sandy.

 

The memorial is planned to look out to the north east of the defence site and over Remount Hill.

 

Mr Ross said earlier attempts to dig up the grave had been centred on the hill, directly above the spot marked on Mr Baddeley’s map.

 

River Ward Councillor Dina Lynch, a member of Friends of Sandy and the Australian Light Horses, said it was important to find a home for the famous horse and spread the story.