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At the end of Word War I, weapons from Germany, Austria, Hungary and the Turkish Empire were gathered and split between the allied nations as a reminder of the sacrifice of the brave men that contributed to the war effort.
This is the story of how Childers became home to the largest and most deadly weapon from World War I - the Krupp 210 mm Howitzer Cannon.
Watch the story of how Childers became home to the Krupp 210 mm Howitzer Cannon.
The people behind the story:
Edward Bernard Cresset Corser Member of the Australian Parliament for Wide Bay.
Born in Birmingham, England, he was educated at Worcester and migrated to Australia in 1864. A sugar worker and bank officer in Maryborough, until 1909, when he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Queensland as the member for Maryborough.
Winning the 1915 Wide Bay by election caused by the resignation of Labor Prime Minister Andrew Fisher; Corser was a member of the Commonwealth Liberal Party. After the war he was an active member of the War Trophies Committee, playing a key role in securing the Howitzer for Childers.
He held the seat of Wide Bay until his death in 1928 and was succeeded by his son, Bernard Corser. Edward Corser is buried in the Maryborough Cemetery.
Herbert Epps Herbert Epps was a Councillor in Isis in 1907, but relinquished his position on Council to take up the position as Shire Clerk – a position he held until his death in 1932.
After losing a son in WWI he played a prominent role in the movement for the erection of the War Memorial/Council Chambers which opened in 1926. He is also credited with the plan to line the main street with leopard trees which gives Childers its distinctive appearance today.
Mr. Epps died suddenly of heart failure on the 1st of April at a Brisbane city hotel where he had travelled to obtain medical attention.
He was survived by two sons and two daughters. One son was employed in the State Forestry Department, and the other was an engineer of the Isis Shire Council.
Sir Tasman Hudson Eastwood Heyes Born on 6 November 1896 at Kent Town, Adelaide he was educated in Melbourne, and in 1912 entered the Commonwealth Public Service as a messenger in the Department of Defence.
Enlisting in the Australian Imperial Force on 18 March 1916, Heyes served on the Western Front from April 1917, spending twelve months with the 3rd Divisional Signal Company before being posted to the Australian War Records Section and promoted sergeant.
In August 1919, he resumed his public service employment and was transferred to the Australian War Museum. From 1928 he was deputy to the director of the Australian War Memorial.
Survived by his daughter, he died on 25 June 1980 at Windsor, Melbourne, and was cremated.
Sir George Foster Pearce KCVO
Senator for Western Australia from 1901 to 1938. He began his career in the Labor Party but later joined the National Labor Party, then the Nationalist Party, and finally the United Australia Party.
Born in Mount Barker, South Australia, he left school at the age of 11 and trained as a carpenter, later moving to Western Australia. He helped establish the Labor Party there, and in 1901 – aged 31 – was elected to the new federal parliament.
Pearce was elevated to cabinet in 1908. He is best known for his service as Minister for Defence, holding that position from 1908 to 1909, 1910 to 1913, 1914 to 1921, and 1932 to 1934.
His 24 years in cabinet and 37 years as a senator are both records that stand today.
William Trahair
William Trahair and J. Jensen were the first staff members of the Australian War Museum.
Trahair was the officer in charge of the Australian War Museum’s photograph exhibition the toured across areas of Australia in 1922, generating only “moderate interest” in the exhibition.
Little is known about William Trahair, but it is believed he did serve in the war, possible at the same posting as Treloar.
Lieutenant Colonel John Treloar
The driving force behind the establishment of the Australian War Memorial, John Treloar was born on 10 December 1894 in Melbourne. He enlisted in the AIF in August 1914 and, after a period of training, served at Gallipoli as a staff sergeant.
In July 1916 he was transferred to France as confidential clerk to Brigadier General Brudenell White at the 1st Anzac Corps Headquarters and in May 1917 he was selected to organise the fledgling Australian War Records Section with the rank of captain. In December 1918, he was promoted to major.
Devoted to the Australian War Memorial, Treloar became the institution’s director in 1920, working tirelessly for the more than three decades and living next to his office. Unable to delegate, Treloar worked punishing hours until his death from an intestinal haemorrhage on 28 January 1952.
A community project to restore the Krupp 210 mm Howitzer Cannon and re-house it in the shelter adjacent to the Isis District War Memorial Hall was completed in 2001.
Watch the short video about the restoration below.
The information on this page and and the video with the story of the Krupp Howitzer was written, presented and edited by Tim Sayre and directed by Di Wills from Creative Regions.
With thanks to Childers Chamber of Commerce, Bundaberg Regional Council and the Australian Government: Department of Veterans' Affairs.
Dedicated to the brave man and women who served in all wars - Lest We Forget.