The history of soldier settlement after the Great War has been greatly enhanced by this comprehensive, lovingly researched, 238xA4 page history of what happened in the Boyne Valley, west of Gladstone, Queensland. The book’s authors are John Shield and Kathleen McLachlan and it was published by the Boyne Valley Historical Society in April 2022, to mark the (Covid-delayed) 2020 Centenary of the Ubobo settlement.
The book includes chapters on soldier settlement in Australia, the war years, the Valley 1920-24, the Valley 1925-39, a Happy Corner, bush nurses, birth of a township, primary sources, rules and regulations, portion/settler chronologies (97 pages on these alone, a mine of information for family historians or Honours theses), and individual stories (36 pages), rounded off with a list of soldier settlers and recommended reading. The illustrations are intriguing and poignant, including archival material, and the writing is nicely balanced between the moving (without schmaltz) and the whimsical.
Altogether, the book is a model of forensic historical delving, and a tribute to the hard work of the authors. It can be obtained for $45 plus postage from:
There are only limited copies remaining.
In 2019, John Shield wrote this on the Boyne Valley soldier settlement. He has been a friend of Honest History for many years and his many other posts are listed here. He is a retired school teacher, now living in Gilgandra, NSW.
8 April 2025
