THERE is barely a town in regional Victoria that does not have a memorial, a cenotaph, a museum or a place of remembrance that honors our war dead.
Now comes a book that details those sacred places - 1000 in 700 communities around metropolitan and regional Victoria, including 250 key memorials, such as the Shrine of Remembrance.
- Remember Them: A guide to Victoria's wartime heritage, by Garrie Hutchinson. Hardie Grant Books, rrp $39.95
Remember Them is a detailed guidebook, arranged geographically - from Tatura to Traralgon and Portland to Robinvale - with photos and maps.
Most poignantly, the 300 pages detail the tragic, heart-breaking stories behind the memorials, of those who fought in the Boer War, the first and second world wars, Korea and Vietnam.
And other conflicts are not forgotten - even the American Civil War, the Chinese Boxer Rebellion and Maori wars are examined - and not just land, but naval and air battles.
So we learn about the famous names, Weary Dunlop and General Sir John Monash. And there are the unknown, such as the brothers from Rainbow who enlisted together in March, 1916, and both died exactly a year later.
Author Garrie Hutchinson, a trained historian and author of books on Australia's military history, explains the book is not a complete history of all the players in the war, "but it is an attempt to acknowledge the service and sacrifice of Victorians since the 1850s through a sampling of wartime heritage sites".
Premier John Brumby has written the foreword to the book and implores you to "read this book".
"Find out about the men and women who forged the wartime heritage of our state and nation. And always remember them."
