Euroa - Telegraph Park
The park commemorates the 1165 volunteers from the Euroa District who served in World War One. The 1165 names are inscribed on five honour boards in the park area.
The park includes unshaded seating, water tap and toilets.
THE VOLUNTEERS
The 1914 - 1918 War
The 1155 men and 10 women named in this park had links with the Shires of Euroa and Violet Town, now combined to form the Shire of Strathbogie. Covering just over 2,200 square kilometres, the Shires embraced a portion of the Great Dividing Range and the flat lands to the west. Despite the large spread of land, just 7,500 people lived within the borders of the two Shires. The towns of Euroa, Longwood, Violet Town and Strathbogie anchored the region.
1914 was a time when -
- 20,000 train tickets were purchased at Euroa railway station
- The pews in churches were filled each Sunday
- It was a time of drought
- The Hume Highway was nothing more than a track
- As many people lived on farms as in the towns
- Sixty memorials had been unveiled. By 2015 a further 32 memorials existed. Approximately 1400 men and women had been remembered, of which 1,165 have been identified. Their names appear in Telegraph Park. Identification of the remaining names continues.
- 258 men had made the supreme sacrifice, 421 had been wounded, 92 more than once. 338 had returned wounded, ill or injured. Over 90% had been withdrawn from the front line due to 210 illnesses and or injuries such as influenza 195, bronchitis 53, mumps 92, diarrhoea 37
- Church numbers had fallen
- The RSL struggled for numbers
- 25 families had sent more than one son
18 - 19 years 204
20 - 24 years 501
25 - 30 years 301
31 - 35 years 82
36 - 40 69
41+ 40
Marriage Status
Single 1019
Married 179
Main Occupations
Labourer 350
Farmer 169
Clerk 70
Blacksmith 28
School teacher 20
Railways 15
Religion
Church of England 488
Presbyterian 288
Roman Catholic 224
Methodist 161
Salvation Army 4
Service location
Gallipoli 201
Palestine 100
The Western Front 860
Main Units at end of Service
Infantry 601
Artillery 93
Light Horse 101
Pioneers 47
Medical Corps 34
Machine Guns 24
Signals 21
Cyclist 9
Air-force 6
Awards
Victoria Cross 2
Distinguished Conduct Medal 9
Distinguished Service Order 2
Military Cross 18
Military Medal 35
Croix de Guerre Belgium 2
Commander of St Michael and St George 3
Mentioned in Despatches 28
Military Service Medal 2
Order of British Empire 1
Turkish Charlie Ryan
A Bridge Between Two Cultures
An Anzac veteran of Gallipoli, the doctor who declared Ned Kelly dead, and a Turkish war hero, Dr Charles Ryan is a remarkable figure of Australian - and Turkish history.
Charles Ryan was born in 1853, on a squatter property, Killeen, just 10 minutes from Euroa.
He was educated at Melbourne Grammar School, the University of Melbourne and graduated as a surgeon from the University of Edinburgh.
While touring Europe, Charles answered an advertisement by the Turkish Government for military surgeons and was accepted.
Charles served with the Turkish Army in two wars, the Turkish - Serbian war 1876 and the Russo Turkish war 1877 - 1877. The Turks fought 12 wars over 4 centuries with the Russian Empire. In 1876 Serbia declared war against Turkey in an attempt for independence. A truce was brokered, but 2 months later war broke out again, this time with Russia supporting Serbia.
In 1877 the Russians attacked successfully crossing the Danube River. However they stopped by a large Turkish garrison at Plevne, now in Bulgaria for 4 months. After the capture of Plevne, the Russian armies arrived at the gates of Istanbul.
With the intervention of western countries, particularly England, a truce was signed which saw limited independence granted to Serbians and Bulgarians. As a prize England was given the island of Cyprus.
PLEVNA
In 1876, Charles was for a short time in Serbia and in charge of a large hospital at Nisch. Soon after, the war finished with the Turks victorious.
In 1877, along with Turkish troops, Charles was trapped in the Bulgarian village of Plevna for 4 months. Charles had to treat hundreds of wounded Turks in makeshift field hospitals with little medical supplies or nursing help. He was the last to be evacuated, taking with him the wounded, some 500 Kms to Sofia. The Turks gave him the nickname of Plevna.
After a short period of peace, war broke out again, this time Russia siding with Serbia.
Charles and his regiment moved to Erzeroum, Turkey. Charles was in charge of the hospital. Sixteen thousand Turkish died from Typhus. The city was surrounded by the Russians for 6 weeks before the Turks surrendered. Charles became a prisoner of war. The future looked grim, but a truce was called. Charles was freed and returned to Constantinople. Charles was awarded the Order of Medjidie and the Order of Osmanieth to military leaders for outstanding leadership.
Charles wrote of his experiences in "Under Red Crescent", selected by scholars as being culturally important.
1878 - 1912
Charles returned to Melbourne and became a surgeon at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
Charles was assigned as the doctor to attend Ned Kelly, ensuring Ned could stand trial. Charles also had to declare Ned dead after his hanging. Before WWI, Charles undertook numerous responsibilities, including being the physician to the Governor General and serving as the Turkish Consul in Melbourne. At the start of WWI, Charles enlisted and was appointed to Lieutenant General Sir William Birdwood's staff. He served at Gallipoli.
On May 19th 1915, the Turks launched a fierce attack on the ANZACs. The dead and wounded from both sides were left in no man's land and a truce was called. Charles photographed the event. He wore his Turkish medals which aggravated the Turks until he revealed he was PLEVNA Ryan.
Charles contracted dysentery and was forced to leave Gallipoli.
From July 1916 Charles served in London and was appointed Honorary surgeon General to Australian Military Forces on the Western front.
Awards
Charles was made an Honorary Major General and received many awards.
Personal Life
In 1883, he married Alice Alfrida and had a son, Rupert Ryan, who became a soldier, federal politician and a daughter, Ethel, a pioneer aviator and poet who married Richard Casey, a future Governor General.
In retirement, Charles pursued his two great passions, ornithology and photography. He was a pioneering conservationist.
Charles died at sea from heart failure on board the Otranto, near Adelaide while on a return voyage from Europe in 1926. He was buried at Melbourne General Cemetery.
Photos:
Location
8 Brock Street, Euroa 3666 Map
Web Links
→ Military History Trail
