School students enlightened by contents of World War One diaries

NASHOS members Neville Coleman and Maurie Degiovanni distributed the packages which contain copies of “Diary’s of the Great War 1914-1918”, stationary, sets of pennies dated every three months and medallions.

“The theory is for the schools to use the diaries as a project with the aim of filling them in with events and happenings that occurred in the years since the war began in 1914,” Mr Coleman said.

“There is a lead-up story in each diary written by journalist John Murray in March 1914, that will give students an overview of what was occurring at that time to give a starting point from which to continue,” he said.

The eight schools that received the NASHOS packages are St Margaret Mary’s College; Kirwan State High School, Aitkenvale State School; Townsville Grammar Junior School; Hermit Park State School; Southern Cross Catholic College, Oonoonba State School and Annandale State School.

St Margaret Mary’s College principal Kathy Park said receiving the packages was very timely with commemorations for the ANZAC involvement on the Western Front during the war currently taking place.

“The History department is relishing the diaries and all the other material we received, the diaries give students real life examples of what life during wartime would have been like,” Ms Park said.

“Students and teachers are really enjoying digging into them and they are proving particularly useful for senior students studying modern history as one of their topics happens to be World War One,” she said.

“They are using the diaries frequently when conducting research on the war as an additional source of attributable material.”

She said the materials will eventually be given away as prizes for students in the junior classes to reward particularly high achievers.