From Swords to Ploughshares: Townsville men and women who served their community in war and peace

Armistice Day celebrations outside the Town Hall, Flinders Street, Townsville, 1918. Photo: City Libraries Townsville Local History Collection.

In today's blog post, Rachel Garlando, one of the researchers on the From Swords to Ploughshares project, shares her experiences of developing content for the exhibition.

"I began with identifying Townsville street names and their origins, as traditionally streets are named after noted people such as those who served their country in war. I came across a book in the Townsville City Library called Highways and Byways, written by retired town planner John Mathew. From there I researched if and when any of these people had returned to civilian life and what they did upon their return. I then visited specific locations that held a significant amount of war memorabilia and information, including the North Queensland Army Museum at Jezzine Barracks.  

However, my most significant find was at the RSL Townsville Library where I learned of Private Hurtle Patterson in a book called Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Volunteers for the AIF, by Philippa Scarlett.  Patterson was born in Townsville and I was intrigued to learn more about him. I consulted the Australian War Memorial database for his service records and also searched for more information about him on Trove, the National Library of Australia's database. It was an incredible privilege to play a small part in honouring this man's memory through the From Swords to Ploughshares project."

Private Hurtle Austin Patterson. Courtesy Ian Patterson

Hurtle Austin (Banjo) Patterson
Born: Townsville, 1886
Died: 1942
Served in the 9th Infantry Battalion, Australian Imperial Force

Touring party aboard the Recruitment Train including Army officers, a Cabinet Minister and a French Ambassador. Charged with delivering emotive speeches, Private Hurtle Austin Patterson (pictured back row, fifth from left), would close the recruitment meetings with a stirring speech challenging young men to stand in the gap and enlist for the Dardanelles. Photo courtesy of Ian Patterson.

Hurtle Austin Patterson was the son of a Scottish father and Aboriginal mother. Hurtle volunteered for the Queensland Mounted Infantry and served in the Boer War in 1901. When he returned he was very active in his community, serving on council, organising social events and establishing the Burns Poets club with his father Angus.

Patterson was 28 years old and a widower when he enlisted with the Australian Imperial Forces on the 22nd September 1914. He served as a Private with the 9th Infantry Battalion. At 4am on the 25th April he was in the first wave of Imperial forces to land on the beach at Gallipoli. He was wounded in the neck and the shrapnel remained in his body for the remainder of his life. He also lost the sight in one eye during the incursion. He was invalided home in June 1915 and became heavily involved in war recruiting campaigns across Queensland.

A clipping from the Brisbane newspaper, the Daily Standard, 8 April 1926, p. 7

Still very civic minded, in 1926 he ran for the Labor seat of Enoggera and was narrowly defeated. Moving to Little Hartley, New South Wales, in the late 1920s, Patterson became a journalist and photographer. His photographs of tourists visiting Jenolan Caves form an important collection on Australia’s social history.

Rachel Garlando


Acknowledgements: This project has been funded by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs through the Armistice Centenary Grants Program in the federal electorate of Herbert. It has also received support from JCU Library Special Collections, Townsville City Council City Libraries, and the Museum of Tropical Queensland. Additional support from the Army Museum North Queensland, Townsville RSL Library, Townsville Museum and Historical Society, 1RAR Museum, and the Maritime Museum of Townsville, is also gratefully acknowledged.

For more on the project team, check out From Swords to Ploughshares - Introducing the Research Team

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