Tag Archives: Sandy the warhorse

Anzac Resources for Teachers

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Lesson planning takes time. Here are some Anzac-related links for teachers and librarians, including this clip; an Anzac Day reflection from Mt Clarence during Covid.

Each book in the WWI ‘Light’ series has teaching notes with worksheet activities created by Fremantle Press. Website links include these as well as reviews and images for Lighthouse Girl, Light Horse Boy, In the Lamplight, and The Last Light Horse.

If you’d like to know more about ‘Lighthouse Girl’ Faye Howe, click here. And information about warhorse Sandy can be found here.

For class printouts, follow these links:

My Blog posts cover various thematic, WWI, WWII, and Anzac topics. Posts share background details for each book, as well as my creative journeys. Try typing each title as well as keywords like; For Teachers, Anzacs, Historical Fiction, My Process, Light Horse, warhorse, lighthouse, WWI mascots, WWI nursing, Harefield, WWII.

You might also like to check out the clips on my YouTube channel. There are Book trailers for Light Horse Boy and Lighthouse Girl, links to the 2014 Albany commemorative events, and a clip with music by Simone Keane. This Destination WA interview with Dianne on Breaksea Island also shows details of the National Anzac Centre in Albany.

This reading from The Last Light Horse is taken in the Snowy Mountains the area that inspired Sandy’s story, while this clip shows Dianne and her dog Harry unwrapping their first copy of the book. Or Read ABC article about Sandy

Here’s another article about the books in the ‘Light’ series: Chauvel Foundation, and a series review. Plus a few more links to a range of Anzac stories: 17 best Anzac Day books for kids, Books on War, Great Books for Anzac Day, Readings.

Finally, if you live in Perth or Rockingham, here’s a sneak peek of Theatre 180‘s adaptation of the ‘Light’ series. I hope these links are helpful.

Warhorses and The Chauvel Foundation

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I was honoured when Lt Col. John Boyce emailed, asking to interview me for an article to be posted on The Chauvel Foundation website. The foundation aims to, ‘promote, support and inspire service to the community by building public awareness of the attributes, dedication and accomplishments of the Australian Light Horse and their greatest commander, General Sir Harry Chauvel.’ It’s a terrific reference resource for those interested in Australian history.

The article, ‘Writing for Younger Readers about the Light Horse‘ shares details of my writing journey with examples from The Last Light Horse and Light Horse Boy. Lt Col. John Boyce has a deep interest in military history and his percipient questions led to interesting reflections on my creative process. I also liked the way page draft examples were included.

My interest in General Sir Harry Chauvel, sparked by WWI research for the ‘Light series’, deepened after meeting Sir Harry’s granddaughter, Dr Honor Auhinleck. A fellow author, Honor contacted me after students at Corryong College read Light Horse Boy and decided to research the veterans on their town cenotaph. That led to a meeting in Corryong, an ongoing friendship, and Upper Murray book launches.

The Chauvel Foundation website is an historical treasure trove of information. There are articles with details about battles, horses, the Lighthorsemen, Art and Poetry, as well as Sir Harry himself. Not only a great reference site, it’s an enjoyable site to dip into for interesting reading.

A warhorse can’t write letters home …

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… nor keep a diary. In earlier ‘Light’ series titles, Lighthouse Girl, Light Horse Boy and In the Lamplight, I used point-of-view switches between 1st person and 3rd person to add layers. I couldn’t do this for The Last Light Horse.

Researching and writing about a wartime horse was challenging. I needed to add layers differently. There are excellent historic records for humans that served, but that’s not often the case for animals.

The Last Light Horse is divided into four parts, linked to four of the significant men in Sandy’s life. The first is Francis O’Donnell. His family owned the brick kiln in old Tallangatta where Sandy hauled bricks. Francis was keen to serve, however as a Catholic, he was encouraged not to support an ‘English’ war. Instead, Francis donated his best horse. You can read more about Francis here.

The next important figure in Sandy’s life was Major General Bridges. His dying wish was that Sandy be brought home to Australia. The page below shows details of his funeral. In the left-hand image, boots are turned backward to denote a fallen soldier.

After the death of Major General Bridges, Captain Leslie Whitfield, a veterinarian, cared for Sandy In Egypt. When Whitfield was transferred to France, Sandy went too. The veterinarians rode horses to the edge of battle to treat wounded animals. A steady horse like Sandy was invaluable.

Archibald Jordon met Sandy at the Calias Veterinary Hospital. Archie became Sandy’s groom and was the soldier chosen to accompany the old horse home. Their ship docked in Melbourne soon after the 1918 Armistice was signed.

Sandy had been away for over four years. He spent his remaining days at Maribyrnong until, aged 23, and almost blind, he was euthanised. Archie died a few months later.

Each year on Remembrance Day, as well as wearing a red poppy to remember the people who served, I wear a purple poppy to remember the animals that have gone to war. There are other warhorse-related blog posts on this site, focusing on different titles in the ‘Light’ series. To read more, use the search function. Lest we Forget.