The ceremony was again wonderfully attended and the guest speaker,Chief Petty Officer Natasha McRoe R.A.N., HMAS Cerberus mentioned three lads born in Rosebud who served in W.W.2. Two of them were from the Allen and Waddleton families but it was Frank Ferrier whose name caught my attention. His father William John Ferrier was probably Australia's best known hero in 1905 and after leaving the lighthouse service (this job probably a reward for his heroism at Warrnambool), he moved from Rosebud to Queenscliff and gave the name "Rosebud" to his house in Beach St. Later,his son,Lew, named his fishing boat "Rosebud". See:
AUSTRALIA-WIDE HERO IN 1905: William John Ferrier of Warrnambool, Queenscliff and Rosebud.


At the ceremony there was one thing missing, whose existence most people who attended would not know about. It was the Rosebud Roll of Honour which is proudly displayed outside the office at Rosebud Primary School. It had been hoped that the school captains would carry the honour board at today's ceremony but the task of getting it off the wall was too difficult. However, the school was presented with 30 pages of text about those named on the roll and an explanation of why they constituted a considerable proportion of Rosebud's population at the time of the first world war.

Next year is the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landing and much money is being granted to research those who served in that bloodbath. The Dromana Historical Society and R.S.L. have received a grant to commemorate the Dromana lads (photographs of all of whom can be seen in the Dromana Museum.) Unfortunately,those from Rosebud will not be included so I decided to research those named on the Rosebud Roll of Honour.

I am hoping to obtain family lore information (such as Billy Adams'lost foot) and photographs of those named on the Roll (see below) so that a book can be sold next Anzac Day to raise money for Legacy and the school. Please private message me if you can help.

Those who want a sneak peek at the history can google
ROLL OF HONOUR 1914-1918, ROSEBUD, VICTORIA, AUS

ROLL OF HONOUR 1914-1918.(*= SUPREME SACRIFICE.)
ADAMS R.W,; BAKER E.; CAIRNS G.B., C; CARLETON G; CONNOP J.E.; COUPER G.; CORNELL P., JAMES, JOHN; DUNK L.A.; HOBLEY R., G.,J; JAMES E.; McCORMICK K.; McGILLVRAY JAMES*,JOHN, ARCH.,ALF.,ANDREW; PEATEY J.E.*,G.; PERRIN C.R.*; PETERS S.; POTTON S.; RIGG N.,C; WICKHAM G.,W., H.