On Thursday October 31, Remembrance Day will come early for the Kyabram lighthorse men with one of the central events in Kyabram’s Anzac calendar.
On October 31, 1917, 800 Australian lighthorse men mounted their steeds and galloped into what would become the Charge of Beersheba, breaking through Turkish defences to secure a vital water source – an extraordinary feat that an army of 50,000 British troops had failed to accomplish.
At 6pm on October 31, 2024, 107 years after the charge, veterans and family members will gather at the Lone Pine/Anzac memorial on 3rd Ave in the Kyabram Cemetery to pay tribute to those who fought valiantly in that battle.
Kyabram and Stanhope man Oliver Thor who fought in that battle and passed away exactly 45 years after the charge on October 31, 1962 will be honoured along with a few other local heroes.
The ceremony will be presented and supported by the Kyabram RSL, the Kyabram Cemetery Trust and the Kyabram Historical Society.
Kyabram Historical Society president Clive Toms said Kyabram celebrates this battle because of its local connection and the Australian spirit that it represents.
“If it were Americans they’d have movies, parades and songs written about (Charge of Beersheba) but we sort of fell into the backdrop,” he said.
“It was a significant victory for the lighthorse men where we had a couple of our own involved… so that’s why we celebrate.”
Last year's ceremony attracted over 200 attendees who witnessed demonstrations with sound effects and re-enactments; this year promises to be equally impressive.
Mr Toms said attendees can expect everything and more for this year; more stories, more songs, more special moments and a bonfire and barbecue to warm patrons and their stomachs.
“It will be a spectacle,” Mr Toms said.
