Gayndah(/ɡndə/)[2]is a town andlocalityin theNorth Burnett Region,Queensland,Australia.[3][4]It is the administrative centre for the North Burnett Region. In the2021 census,the locality of Gayndah had a population of 1,949 people.[1]

Gayndah
Queensland
Gayndah, seen from the town lookout
Gayndah is located in Queensland
Gayndah
Gayndah
Coordinates25°37′28″S151°36′29″E/ 25.6244°S 151.6080°E/-25.6244; 151.6080(Gyndah (town centre))
Population1,949 (2021 census)[1]
• Density28.620/km2(74.12/sq mi)
Established1849
Postcode(s)4625
Elevation106 m (348 ft)
Area68.1 km2(26.3 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST(UTC+10:00)
Location
LGA(s)North Burnett Region
State electorate(s)Callide
Federal division(s)Flynn
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
28.2 °C
83 °F
13.6 °C
56 °F
766.9 mm
30.2 in
Localities around Gayndah:
Dirnbir Ideraway
Bon Accord
Wetheron
Mount Debateable Gayndah Ginoondan
Woodmillar The Limits Campbell Creek

Geography

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Map of the town of Gayndah, 2015

Gayndah is on theBurnett Riverand theBurnett Highwaypasses through the town. Apart from the town in the western part of the locality, the land is used for cropping and grazing. TheMungar Junction to Monto Branch railway lineonce passed through the town, but it has since been closed and now lies abandoned.[5]

Duchess Mountain is immediately to the south-west of the town (25°38′00″S151°36′47″E/ 25.63333°S 151.61306°E/-25.63333; 151.61306(Duchess Mountain)) and at 190 metres (620 ft) provides excellent views over the town (100 metres (330 ft) above sea level).[5][6]

Gayndah is 366 kilometres (227 mi) north of the state capital,Brisbane,and 145 kilometres (90 mi) west of the regional city ofMaryborough.

Agriculture and grazing have been the dominant industries of the area. The town is the centre of Queensland's largestcitrus-growing area.

History

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The name Gayndah is ofAboriginalorigin but the derivative is unclear. It may derive either fromGu-in-dah(orGi-un-dah), meaningthunder,or fromNgaintameaningplace of scrub.[7]Alternatively it may be derived fromWaka languagekundameaningrangeorridge,orga-een-tameaningbushy land.[3]Wakka Wakka(Waka Waka, Wocca Wocca, Wakawaka) is anAustralian Aboriginal languagespoken in the Burnett River catchment. The Wakka Wakka language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the North and South Burnett Regional Council, particularly the towns of Gayndah,Cherbourg,Murgon,Kingaroy,EidsvoldandMundubbera.[8]

The well-known "Wetheron" property, 12 miles from Gayndah, was taken up by William Humphrey in 1845, and from him it passed to the Hons.Berkeley Basiland Seymour Moreton, sons of the Earl of Ducie. When the foundations of Gayndah were being laid there were only a few squatters on theBurnett River,and these were nearly all educated men of good families with command of money and the confidence of the banks and financial institutions.

Exploration of the Gayndah area began in 1847 by explorerThomas Archerand SurveyorJames Charles Burnett(1815–1854).[9]The first European settlers arrived in 1848, and the town was established in the following year. Apost officewas established at Gayndah in 1850.[10]This suggests that Gayndah may be the oldest officially gazetted town in Queensland, although theMoreton Bay penal colonyof 47 people was established atRedcliffeonMoreton Bayin 1824 but relocated in 1825 to a site on theBrisbane River(nowBrisbane's central business district).

Brisbane's population by 1856 was only an estimated 3,840. Gayndah andIpswichwere regional towns of similar size and competed with Brisbane to become the capital of Queensland when it became aseparate colony from New South Walesin 1859. The main impetus to the growth of Brisbane and the development of a distinctive city centre came through the introduction of self-government, hand-in-hand with immigration and general economic expansion. By 1868 Brisbane was the largest town in Queensland with a population of 15,240.[11]

Gayndah was a centre of early sheep properties in southern Queensland (then NSW) and where many Chinese men travelled via Amoy and then Marybourough to work as shepherds. As early as 1851 it was declared that: "Almost every station in the two districts of Wide Bay and Burnett is supplied with Chinese or Coolie labourers,..." The same writer also acknowledged that their "wages are so small they have nothing to lay out."[12]However as their indentured where for five years only once free to seek employment at more equitable rates many of these men remained in the area and often applied for naturalisation as British subjects to allow them to take up land. These included men such a Thomas Ashney who among other things was a Guyndah hotelkeeper.[13]

This is a population that was added to by the arrival of people from the more southern Cantonese Pearl River Delta area so that by the late 1860s in a discussion about Police Magistrates in the Queensland Legislative Assembly it was declared that: "There was a large Chinese population settled at Gayndah, and they were bound to protect those people...".[14]

In 1857, Tom White came to Gayndah and started the newspaper,The Burnett Argusin April 1861.[15][16]

Gayndah State School opened on 12 October 1863.[17]

In 1870, the first Catholic church opened in Gayndah. In 1912 Father Patrick Brady decided a new church was needed. On 18 April 1915 Archbishop James Duhig blessed and opened the new church before a crowd of 800 people. The new church was built at 46 Meson Street (25°37′24″S151°36′22″E/ 25.6232°S 151.6061°E/-25.6232; 151.6061(St Joseph's Roman Catholic Church)) on the south bank of the Burnett River and was 60 by 32 feet (18.3 by 9.8 m) with walls 15 feet (4.6 m) high and constructed of ferro-concrete with asbestos roof tiles. The architects were R. Cook & Sons and it was built by contractor H.G. Millar. The total cost of the building and furnishings was about £1500.[18]

The railway was opened to Gayndah on 16 December 1907. Historian Matt J Fox spoke of Gayndah in 1923: "The Gazette now represents the Press in Gayndah, which is a very prosperous town of nearly a thousand people, the centre of a thriving district of farmers and fruit-growers and squatters, with a rural population of over 4,000 people".[19]

In 1872, the town was the location where the hoax fishOmpax spatuloideswas supposedly procured.[20]

Gayndah North State School opened on 14 February 1918. It closed on 24 August 1931.[17]

Gayndah Aboriginal Provisional School opened on 8 August 1918. It became Gayndah Aboriginal State School in 1942. It closed in 1949.[17]

Gayndah War Memorial, 2008

On 8 September 1919 the Gayndah War Memorial was dedicated by theMember of the Queensland Legislative AssemblyforBurnett,Bernard Corser.[21]

St Joseph's Catholic School opened on 6 October 1919.[17]

DuringWorld War II,Gayndah was the location ofRAAF No.8 Inland Aircraft Fuel Depot(IAFD), completed in 1942 and closed on 29 August 1944. Usually consisting of 4 tanks, 31 fuel depots were built across Australia for the storage and supply of aircraft fuel for theRAAFand theUS Army Air Forcesat a total cost of £900,000 ($1,800,000).[22]

Gayndah State High School opened on 29 January 1963. On 3 March 2006 it became Burnett State College.[17]

The foundation stone of the Gayndah Methodist Church was laid on 28 October 1967 by Reverend Ivan Wells Alcorn. With the amalgamation of the Methodist Church into theUniting Church in Australiain 1977, it became Gayndah Uniting Church.[23]It is now known as Central Burnett Uniting Church.[24]

Church of the Sacred Heart at Byrnestown, 1925

In 1969 the Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart atByrnestownwas moved to Gayndah to serve as the church hall for St Joseph's Catholic Church. To reduce the risk of future cyclone damage, the roof was lowered by reducing the height of the walls and reducing the pitch of the roof.[25]

The Mango Treeis a 1977 Australian drama film based on the novelThe Mango TreebyRonald McKieand directed byKevin Dobsonand starringGeraldine Fitzgeraldand SirRobert Helpmann.[26]Filming took place in the town of Gayndah,Mount PerryandCordalbaas well asBundaberg.The shoot went for seven weeks starting April and ending in June.[27]The streets of Gayndah were closed for filming and a street-scape was created to emulate the 19th century period of the screenplay. Gayndah was chosen because much of its early, country town architecture was intact and reflected the period effectively. Lead actor Christopher Pate is the son of actorMichael Patewho also produced the film.[28]

Demographics

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In the2006 census,the town of Gayndah had a population of 1,745 people.[29]

In the2011 census,the locality of Gayndah had a population of 1,789 people.[30]

In the2016 census,the locality of Gayndah had a population of 1,981 people.[31]

In the2021 census,the locality of Gayndah had a population of 1,949 people.[1]

Heritage listings

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Gayndah has a number ofheritage-listedsites, including:

Climate

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Gayndah experiences ahumid subtropical climate(Köppen:Cfa,Trewartha:Cfal), with hot, humid summers and mild, dry, brief winters with cool nights.[41]

Climate data for Gayndah (25º37'48 "S, 152º36'36" E, 106 m AMSL) (1879-2012 normals, extremes 1893-2009)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 44.6
(112.3)
41.7
(107.1)
40.7
(105.3)
39.1
(102.4)
33.3
(91.9)
31.7
(89.1)
30.1
(86.2)
33.9
(93.0)
39.4
(102.9)
41.8
(107.2)
42.8
(109.0)
44.8
(112.6)
44.8
(112.6)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 32.8
(91.0)
32.0
(89.6)
30.9
(87.6)
28.6
(83.5)
25.2
(77.4)
22.4
(72.3)
21.9
(71.4)
23.8
(74.8)
26.9
(80.4)
29.6
(85.3)
31.5
(88.7)
32.8
(91.0)
28.2
(82.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 20.1
(68.2)
19.9
(67.8)
18.1
(64.6)
14.3
(57.7)
10.3
(50.5)
7.5
(45.5)
5.9
(42.6)
6.8
(44.2)
10.2
(50.4)
14.1
(57.4)
17.0
(62.6)
19.1
(66.4)
13.6
(56.5)
Record low °C (°F) 11.7
(53.1)
10.0
(50.0)
6.1
(43.0)
1.1
(34.0)
−1.1
(30.0)
−3.9
(25.0)
−6.0
(21.2)
−4.9
(23.2)
−2.8
(27.0)
1.0
(33.8)
6.0
(42.8)
8.3
(46.9)
−6.0
(21.2)
Averageprecipitationmm (inches) 112.6
(4.43)
105.7
(4.16)
73.3
(2.89)
37.7
(1.48)
41.2
(1.62)
40.0
(1.57)
38.4
(1.51)
28.8
(1.13)
34.8
(1.37)
65.7
(2.59)
79.9
(3.15)
103.7
(4.08)
760.7
(29.95)
Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) 5.9 5.6 4.6 3.0 3.0 2.8 2.9 2.4 2.7 4.2 4.9 5.7 47.7
Average afternoonrelative humidity(%) 48 51 50 48 48 48 45 40 38 40 41 44 45
Averagedew point°C (°F) 18.1
(64.6)
18.5
(65.3)
17.2
(63.0)
14.3
(57.7)
11.4
(52.5)
9.2
(48.6)
7.5
(45.5)
7.3
(45.1)
9.1
(48.4)
12.1
(53.8)
14.5
(58.1)
16.7
(62.1)
13.0
(55.4)
Source:Bureau of Meteorology(1879-2012 normals, extremes 1893-2009)[42]

Amenities

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The North Burnett Regional Council operates Gayndah Library on Capper Street.[43][44]The library offers publicly accessibleWi-Fi.[45]

The former St Joseph's Convent in Meson Street was in 2011 converted into an arts and cultural centre, The Gayndah Arts & Cultural Centre which also houses the Gaynah Art Gallery.[citation needed]

The Gayndah branch of theQueensland Country Women's Associationmeets at 5 Pineapple Street. The branch was founded in 1923 making it one of the longest operating branches.[46]

Central Burnett Uniting Church (also known as Gayndah Uniting Church) is at 41 Meson Street (25°37′26″S151°36′19″E/ 25.6239°S 151.6052°E/-25.6239; 151.6052(Central Burnett Uniting Church)).[24][23][47]It is part of the Mary Burnett Presbytery of the Uniting Church in Australia.[48]

Gayndah Wesleyan Methodist Church is at 6 Dalgangal Road (corner of Bridge Street,25°37′11″S151°36′37″E/ 25.6198°S 151.6103°E/-25.6198; 151.6103(Gayndah Wesleyan Methodist Church)).[49][50]It is part of theWesleyan Methodist Church of Australia.[51]

Claude Wharton Weir is owned and managed bySunwater.North Burnett Regional Councilown and manage the boat ramps, facilities and recreation areas. Public access is permitted in designated areas only.[52]Facilities include two boat ramps, picnic shelters, barbecues, public toilets and parking. Camping is prohibited at Claude Wharton Weir.[53]The weir is stocked by the Gayndah Anglers and Fish Stocking Association Inc.[54]

Education

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Gayndah State School

Gayndah State School is a government primary (Prep–6) school for boys and girls at 33 Meson Street (25°37′26″S151°36′21″E/ 25.6238°S 151.6059°E/-25.6238; 151.6059(Gayndah State School)).[55][56]In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 145 students with 10 teachers (8 full-time equivalent) and 14 non-teaching staff (7 full-time equivalent).[57]

St Joseph's School is a Catholic primary (Prep–6) school for boys and girls at 38 Meson Street (25°37′24″S151°36′19″E/ 25.6233°S 151.6054°E/-25.6233; 151.6054(St Joseph's School)).[55][58]In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 86 students with 10 teachers (8 full-time equivalent) and 10 non-teaching staff (5 full-time equivalent).[57]

Burnett State College is a government secondary (7–12) school for boys and girls at 65 Pineapple Street (25°37′54″S151°36′23″E/ 25.6318°S 151.6063°E/-25.6318; 151.6063(Burnett State College)).[55][59]In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 249 students with 26 teachers (25 full-time equivalent) and 22 non-teaching staff (15 full-time equivalent).[57]

Visitor attractions

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The town's information centre is located inside a man-made orange, known as The Big Orange.[60]

The Gayndah Orange Festival is held every two years to celebrate this industry.[61][62]

Notable residents

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Sister city

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Gayndah has onesister city,signed in 1989, according to Sister Cities Australia Inc. (SCA).[64]

References

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  1. ^abcAustralian Bureau of Statistics(28 June 2022)."Gayndah (SAL)".2021 Census QuickStats.Retrieved28 February2023.
  2. ^Macquarie Dictionary, Fourth Edition(2005). Melbourne, The Macquarie Library Pty Ltd.ISBN1-876429-14-3
  3. ^ab"Gayndah – town in North Burnett Region (entry 13515)".Queensland Place Names.Queensland Government.Retrieved2 August2019.
  4. ^"Gayndah – locality in North Burnett Region (entry 45349)".Queensland Place Names.Queensland Government.Retrieved2 August2019.
  5. ^ab"Queensland Globe".State of Queensland.Retrieved12 October2015.
  6. ^"Duchess Mountain (entry 10653)".Queensland Place Names.Queensland Government.Retrieved13 October2015.
  7. ^Reed, A. W. (1973).Place Names of Australia,p. 102. Sydney: A. H. & A. W. Reed.ISBN0-589-07115-7
  8. ^This Wikipedia article incorporatesCC BY 4.0licensedtext from:"Queensland's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages map".State Library of Queensland.Retrieved6 June2020.
  9. ^Don Dignan,'Burnett, James Charles (1815–1854)'Archived16 February 2015 at theWayback Machine,Australian Dictionary of Biography,National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published in hardcopy 1969, accessed online 25 September 2014
  10. ^New South Wales Government Gazette,19 January 1850, cited by Frew, Joan (1981).Queensland Post Offices 1842–1980 and Receiving Offices 1869–1927,p. 277. Fortitude Valley, Queensland: published by the author,ISBN0-9593973-0-2.
  11. ^Marsden, Susan; Urban Heritage; the rise and post-war development of Australia's capital city centres, Australian Council of National Trusts and Australian Heritage Commission, Ausdoc on Demand, Fyshwick ACT, 2000, p22
  12. ^The Sydney Morning Herald, 24 April 1851, p.3.
  13. ^"Thomas Ashney of Gayndah: A Personal Story".13 August 2013.
  14. ^The Brisbane Courier, 15 January 1868, p.3.
  15. ^"New Journal".Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser.Qld. 2 May 1861. p. 2.Archivedfrom the original on 26 August 2021.Retrieved26 September2014– via National Library of Australia.
  16. ^Morrison, Allan Arthur (1952)."Some aspects of Queensland provincial journalism"(PDF).Journal of the Royal Historical Society of Queensland.4(5). Brisbane:Royal Historical Society of Queensland:702–708.ISSN1837-8366.Retrieved25 September2014.
  17. ^abcdeQueensland Family History Society (2010),Queensland schools past and present(Version 1.01 ed.),Queensland Family History Society,ISBN978-1-921171-26-0
  18. ^"NEW CHURCH OPENED".The Brisbane Courier.No. 17, 864. Queensland, Australia. 19 April 1915. p. 10.Archivedfrom the original on 26 August 2021.Retrieved1 July2020– via National Library of Australia.
  19. ^Fox, Matt J. (Matt Joseph), History of Queensland, its people and industries,...; States Publishing Company, Brisbane, Qld; 1919-1923, p824
  20. ^"A Mythical Fish".The Advocate.Burnie, Tas. 17 January 1934. p. 5.Archivedfrom the original on 26 August 2021.Retrieved19 September2013– via National Library of Australia.
  21. ^"Gayndah War Memorial".Monument Australia.Archivedfrom the original on 7 April 2014.Retrieved5 April2014.
  22. ^Australia. Royal Australian Air Force. Historical Section (1995),Logistics units,AGPS Press,ISBN978-0-644-42798-2
  23. ^ab"Gayndah Uniting Church".Churches Australia.Archivedfrom the original on 3 October 2021.Retrieved3 October2021.
  24. ^ab"Find a Church".Uniting Church in Australia, Queensland Synod.Archivedfrom the original on 24 October 2020.Retrieved22 November2020.
  25. ^"Byrnestown St Peter's Catholic Church c 1914 – Opposite 8 Fielding St, Gayndah, QLD".POI Australia.Archivedfrom the original on 1 July 2020.Retrieved1 July2020.
  26. ^"The Mango Tree (1977)".IMDb.Archivedfrom the original on 7 March 2016.Retrieved22 August2016.
  27. ^Pike, Andrew and Cooper, Ross;Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production,Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998 p320
  28. ^Wikipedia:The Mango Tree
  29. ^Australian Bureau of Statistics(25 October 2007)."Gayndah (Urban Centre/Locality)".2006 Census QuickStats.Retrieved25 October2007.
  30. ^Australian Bureau of Statistics(31 October 2012)."Gayndah".2011 Census QuickStats.Retrieved12 October2015.
  31. ^Australian Bureau of Statistics(27 June 2017)."Gayndah (SSC)".2016 Census QuickStats.Retrieved20 October2018.
  32. ^abcdefghijkl"North Burnett Local Heritage Register"(PDF).North Burnett Regional Council.Archived(PDF)from the original on 16 August 2019.Retrieved16 August2019.
  33. ^"Gayndah War Memorial (entry 600517)".Queensland Heritage Register.Queensland Heritage Council.Retrieved12 July2013.
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  35. ^"Mellors Drapery and Haberdashery (entry 601470)".Queensland Heritage Register.Queensland Heritage Council.Retrieved12 July2013.
  36. ^"North Burnett Local Heritage Register"(PDF).North Burnett Regional Council.Archived(PDF)from the original on 16 August 2019.Retrieved16 August2019.
  37. ^"Gayndah Shire Hall (entry 602124)".Queensland Heritage Register.Queensland Heritage Council.Retrieved12 July2013.
  38. ^"Gayndah Racecourse (entry 602514)".Queensland Heritage Register.Queensland Heritage Council.Retrieved12 July2013.
  39. ^"Gayndah State School (entry 600516)".Queensland Heritage Register.Queensland Heritage Council.Retrieved12 July2013.
  40. ^"Brick Cottage (entry 602185)".Queensland Heritage Register.Queensland Heritage Council.Retrieved12 July2013.
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  42. ^"Gayndah Post Office Climate Statistics (1879-2012)".Bureau of Meteorology.Retrieved9 July2024.
  43. ^"Gayndah Library".Public Libraries Connect.14 February 2017.Archivedfrom the original on 29 January 2018.Retrieved29 January2018.
  44. ^"Gayndah Library Webpage".Gayndah Library.Archivedfrom the original on 22 April 2011.Retrieved16 June2011.
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  46. ^"Branch Locations".Queensland Country Women's Association.Archived fromthe originalon 26 December 2018.Retrieved26 December2018.
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  48. ^"Welcome".Central Burnett Uniting Church.Archivedfrom the original on 20 September 2021.Retrieved3 October2021.
  49. ^"Gayndah Wesleyan Methodist Church".Gayndah Wesleyan Methodist Church.Archivedfrom the original on 24 August 2021.Retrieved25 August2021.
  50. ^"Gayndah".Wesleyan Methodist Church Australia.Archivedfrom the original on 24 August 2021.Retrieved25 August2021.
  51. ^"South Queensland".Wesleyan Methodist Church Australia.Archivedfrom the original on 21 August 2021.Retrieved25 August2021.
  52. ^"Upper Burnett Weirs & Barrages".SunWater.Archivedfrom the original on 29 October 2022.Retrieved9 October2022.
  53. ^"Water Sports and Recreation".North Burnett Regional Council.Archivedfrom the original on 9 October 2022.Retrieved9 October2022.
  54. ^Queensland Government, Fish stocked dams and weirs search(10 December 2020)."Claude Wharton Weir".daf.qld.gov.au.Archivedfrom the original on 9 October 2022.Retrieved9 October2022.
  55. ^abc"State and non-state school details".Queensland Government.9 July 2018.Archivedfrom the original on 21 November 2018.Retrieved21 November2018.
  56. ^"Gayndah State School".Archivedfrom the original on 26 March 2020.Retrieved21 November2018.
  57. ^abc"ACARA School Profile 2017".Archivedfrom the original on 22 November 2018.Retrieved22 November2018.
  58. ^"St Joseph's School".Archivedfrom the original on 7 March 2014.Retrieved21 November2018.
  59. ^"Burnett State College".Archivedfrom the original on 16 August 2019.Retrieved21 November2018.
  60. ^"Gaynah's Big Orange".Queensland.Tourism and Events Queensland.Archivedfrom the original on 25 July 2021.Retrieved25 July2021.
  61. ^Treacy, Alex (7 May 2019)."Orange Festival fan recalls event's history".Central and North Burnett Times.Archivedfrom the original on 25 July 2021.Retrieved25 July2021.
  62. ^Cormack, Holly (29 June 2021)."Thousands flock to Gayndah for three days of family fun at 2021 Orange Festival".South Burnett Times.Archivedfrom the original on 26 August 2021.Retrieved25 July2021.
  63. ^Queensland school children holding guns a sign of 'special' relationship with Australian ArmyArchived28 July 2021 at theWayback Machine,ABC News Online,2021-07-28
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