|
National Australia Bank's 10 month search for the closest living relative of a former employee killed in WW1 has ended in Mudgee having followed a trail of emails from all over Australia and as far away as Canada. Today the National officially presented 83 year-old Mudgee resident, Mr. David Murray Garland, with a plaque commemorating his uncle, Gunner Murray Baylis Garland, who lost his life in WW1. The presentation was made at the National's Mudgee Branch by Lindsay Millar, Area Manager Orange, who said it was an honour to be able to present the plaque to the family of Murray Garland on behalf of the bank. "The National's archive files tell us that Murray joined the bank at the age of 17 as a junior at the Shellharbour branch. It was a position that required him to spend his days filling up the inkwells, doing the messages and probably sweeping the floor of the banking chamber at the end of the day." "Between 1909 and 1911 he worked at the Corowa and Oaklands branches. By 1912 Murray was a Ledger-keeper at Campsie, where the plaque and respectful words preserved his memory and where he remained until joining the military service in September 1915". The plaque was initially mounted on the wall of the Campsie branch around 1918, where it remained until the building was demolished in 1986. It then became part of the National's archives and heritage collection. In April 2003 the National's monthly staff magazine featured a photograph of the plaque commemorating Murray Garland. The article asked staff for their help in finding the descendants of Mr Garland. In October, 2003 a message was received from Stuart Garland of Grafton NSW (son of Murray Garland's nephew David) who had received a scanned copy of the article from someone in Canada. He was able to supply family tree information which substantiated the link. The Manager of the Bank's Heritage Collection, Rod McLennan says there are several plaques similar to this currently held in the bank's archives which have survived the demolition of their buildings. " We are pleased the plaque is finally to be cared for by the Garland family", said Mr McLennan. Additional background on Gunner Murray Baylis Garland Murray Garland was born on 6 August, 1890 at Wagga Wagga. He was the seventh child of Broughton Clayton Garland and Whilhelmina Helen Garland (nee Baylis). He joined the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney on 10 October 1907 at Shellharbour as a Junior. From there he was transferred to Corowa in January, 1909, to Oaklands in 1910 and to Campsie in July 1912 where he remained until joining the military service in September 1915 where he became a Gunner, 1st Brigade, Australian Field Artillery (Service number 5470). On April 26, 1917, he died from battle wounds, age 26 years " he is buried at Grevillers British Cemetery in the Department of the Pas de Calais, France, three kilometres west of Bapaume.
|
