Celebrating a centenary soldier settlers

A POSTPONED centenary celebration of the 1921 Mannibadar Soldier Settlement will be held this Sunday, 27 March.

About 275 people including adult children and descendants of original settlers, their families and friends are expected to attend the event at Mannibadar Hall from 2pm.

There will be an unveiling of a large brass plaque embedded into a granite boulder from committee member Stephen Holding’s family property, speeches, historical displays and photographs, and an afternoon tea, with a centenary cake cutting.

An original map of the settlement area of the Parish of Mannibadar in the Mount Bute Estate is on the plaque, accompanied by a list of original settler names, and some who arrived a couple of years after the initial settlement.

Graeme Ellis’ family has been in Mannibadar for the entire century.

“We’re looking forward to recognising the hardships they soldier settlers had, including our family, but that we still made it to 100. We’re still there,” he said.

“Everyone is very proud to celebrate. Even those who came along later have got behind it all and are looking forward to it very much.

“We’re just so happy and delighted by the anniversary and the response has been overwhelming.”

After World War One, the Closer Settlement Scheme, or Soldier Settlement Scheme, was established to provide jobs and opportunity for returned servicepeople.

The Mount Bute Estate was a large pastoral property between Linton to Derrinallum before the war which was held by an absentee landowner.

The Mount Bute Estate was divided into approximately 123 allotments, of which the Parish of Mannibadar is one in the top end of the area. Prior to the war, Mannibadar was not a highly populated area.

Member for Buninyong Michaela Settle, who has family connections to Mount Bute Station, and representatives of the Golden Plains Shire including Cr Ian Getsom will be in attendance at the centenary celebration.