One of the good things about travelling in Australia is the opportunity to poke about in the country towns. Each of them, big or small, has a story to tell. For the most part there is a local museum where there will be photos, documents and implements that trace the path from initial settlement, then gradually increasing agricultural and civic progress. There will be stories of influential citizens, the ordinary life of the ordinary people, the impact on the landscape, the way of life of the prior aboriginal inhabitants.
The small country town of Kojonup is south of Perth in WA, on the road to Albany. Here you will find the Kodja Place Visitors Centre. It tells in a vital, vivid, human and sometimes confronting manner the Kojonup story and the influences, cultural, economic and geographic, that formed the Kojonup of today. This is one of the better regional displays that I have come across.
However it is the memorial in the adjacent park that catches my eye. It is a memorial to Brigadier Arnold Potts and to the Kokoda Track campaign of World War II. I don't know where to place the blame but it is a sad fact that national recognition of the Kokoda story has only occurred in the past few years. There has been an excellent film, and there has been published at least three books on the campaign - by Patrick Lindsay, Paul Ham, Peter Fitzsimons - each is good, Paul Ham's is probably the best. A mini travel industry has started to assist people to 'walk the Kokoda Track' and these people must be super fit to cope with the physical hardship involved. But why has it taken so long for this recognition? There are many veterans of that campaign who have died in the meantime. Why have we spent our time at the cinema 'Saving Private Ryan' when we have our own military heroes to honour?
I would like to think that every Australian becomes well acquainted with the details of the Kokoda story. It is not for nothing that ex-PM Paul Keating considers that it should be rated above Gallipoli in its significance to the history of the nation. The courage and fortitude of the troops was the same in each case but Kokoda was a victory not a defeat, and the cause was the defence of the homeland not the invasion of another land in a byway of an imperial conflict.
Why the memorial in Kojonup? For only one reason, Brigadier Arnold Potts was a local farmer. It is right and proper that he is honoured in his local community, it is disgraceful that he and his soldiers are not more widely honoured throughout the nation. There were other outstanding commanders at Kokoda but it was Brigadier Potts who lead the fighting withdrawal that slowed the initial advances of the Japanese army. This action was crucial in buying sufficient time for reinforcing troops to be brought in. His action was all the more credit worthy because he blatantly defied the orders of his deskbound superiors to attack! attack! because he knew that such a course would lead to the annihilation of his troops. For this he was recalled to Port Moresby and dismissed from his command by General Sir Thomas Blamey, the Australian army commander. It was this same General Blamey that addressed the troops of the 21st Brigade on the parade ground at Koitaki near Port Moresby. Infamously he accused these brave men of 'running like rabbits' - the men who had fought and died in the desperate actions to delay the Japanese. So both Brigadier Arnold Potts and his men were the victims of a gross injustice. Blamey was forever after detested by the ordinary soldier and his name attracts no credit worthy mention these days.
At any rate I was surprised and pleased to see this Kokoda Memorial in Kojonup. I wish that more people would stop to see it and to recognise its significance. Closer to my home, I wish that more people would visit the excellent Kokoda Memorial Track at Bray's Bay near Rhodes in Sydney.
The men of Kokoda will forever deserve the gratitude and veneration of the nation.
LEST WE FORGET!
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