Discover THE FRASER COAST MILITARY TRAIL
Twenty major monuments and places of war-time significance make up the Fraser Coast Military Trail telling the stories of the brave men and women who went to war and in many cases, made the ultimate sacrifice.
3 Must See Experiences
The experiences that will transport you back in time
Gallipoli to Armistice Memorial ‘Walk with the Anzacs’
Location: Queens Park, Maryborough
The Gallipoli to Armistice Memorial traces the birth of the Anzac legend, drawn from the personal perspectives in letters written home to loved ones by Wide Bay district men who fought on the front line, including Lieutenant Duncan Chapman, the first Anzac ashore at Gallipoli. Soaring eight meters into the sky is a steel representation of the cliffs of Gallipoli leading to panels telling the story of the battles. From there, visitors follow inscribed pavers to the Western Front battlegrounds, past sculptures and whispering voices to an arbour dedicated to the pitiless Battle of Pozieres.
The Maryborough Military and Colonial Museum
Location: 106 Wharf Street, Maryborough
The Maryborough Military and Colonial Museum is the best place outside the Australian War Memorial to connect with the nation’s military past. The Maryborough museum represents more soldiers recognised for gallantry at Gallipoli, primarily with their original medals (132 service personnel and 71 officers), than any other museum including the AWM and the Imperial War Museum in London. The museum’s focus is on the personal stories, sacrifice and memorabilia of war, rather than the weaponry or battles. In the 13 years since opening, the collection has grown to more than 10,000 items and is valued at $17m.
TSS Maheno exhibit
Location: Hervey Bay Historical Village and Museum, 13 Zephyr Street, Scarness
Items from Australia’s largest World War I relic, Gallipoli hospital ship TSS Maheno, were opened as an exhibit in 2015, marking the 80th anniversary of the beaching on Fraser Island of the former Union Steamship Company vessel. A twin-screw passenger steamship of 5000 tons on the trans-Tasman run between Australia and New Zealand, she was converted to a hospital ship during the Great War and stood off Gallipoli Peninsula giving hope to Anzacs wounded in battle. Her rusting hulk has been on Fraser’s east coast since her founding during a cyclone in 1935 in inglorious circumstances – without her propellers and while under tow to a Japanese scrap yard. Opening hours: Friday, Saturday 1 – 4:30pm, Sunday 10:30am – 4:30pm. Open all QLD School Holidays + Public Holidays. Closed Christmas Day and Good Friday.
Walk with the Anzacs
Discover the stories of Duncan Chapman and many more local hero’s in the Gallipoli to Armistice Trail located in Queens Park, Maryborough.
This memorial traces the birth of the Anzacs at Gallipoli, where Maryborough man Duncan Chapman was the first Allied soldier to step ashore, and follows their gruelling journey along the Western Front to Armistice Day. Personal perspectives in the memorial are drawn from letters written home by Maryborough district men on the front line. Some names also appear on the Cenotaph.
In a letter to his brother Charles, Lieutenant Chapman described the landing. “To me was given the extreme honour of being actually the first man to put foot ashore on this peninsula,’’ he wrote.
Military Trail locations map
Use the below map to navigate the Military Trail and locate your destinations of interest.
Some of the photographs used in the military trail, and on this website, were sourced from the Maryborough Wide Bay & Burnett Historical Society. The society is in the former School of Arts building in Kent Street, Maryborough. The Society manages an enormous collection of historical resources for Maryborough and the Fraser Coast.