Woombye Troop rides to remember Beersheba heroes

Woombye will once again honour one of Australia’s most celebrated military actions when more than 20 mounted Light Horsemen parade through the town on Sunday, November 1, to commemorate the 109th anniversary of the Battle of Beersheba.

The annual event, organised by the 2nd Light Horse Regiment – Woombye Troop, has become one of the town’s most cherished traditions, attracting crowds that rival its Anzac Day commemorations.

Woombye has developed an extraordinary connection with the famous First World War battle, with the volunteer troop keeping its story alive through a commemoration that has grown to become one of the largest of its kind in Australia.

Light Horse riders and other First World War living-history groups travel to take part. The Woombye Troop has been staging the event for about 20 years.  

One of the organisers, Niamh Jones, said the event was about much more than the spectacle of horses moving through the centre of town. “Each year we aim to educate our community about the courage and sacrifice of the Lighthorse,” she said.

“To honour the sacrifice of the Light Horsemen and their horses we host a parade of up to 30 Light Horse who gather from across Queensland along with other WWI reenactors.”

Members representing the Australian Army Nursing Service, Red Cross and veterans’ groups are also expected to join the parade before a memorial service.

The commemoration recalls the Battle of Beersheba on October 31, 1917, when Australian Light Horsemen made a daring mounted attack against Ottoman defences in what was then Palestine.

With daylight fading and the capture of Beersheba’s vital water supplies becoming increasingly urgent, the 4th and 12th Light Horse regiments charged across open ground towards the Turkish trenches, carrying bayonets rather than cavalry swords. Their speed helped carry them through the defences and into the town, securing Beersheba and its wells and helping open the way for the Allied advance through Palestine.  

For Woombye, however, Beersheba is not simply a story in a history book.

The town has its own long Light Horse connection, with a North Coast squadron headquartered at Woombye after Light Horse units were re-formed in the 1920s. Today’s living-history troop continues that association, maintaining uniforms, equipment, horsemanship and a local museum dedicated to preserving the story.  

Ms Jones said the organisation was entirely volunteer-run, with riders coming from across the Sunshine Coast.

Following the parade and memorial service, visitors will be invited to meet troop members and their horses, inspect the Light Horse Museum and share Anzac biscuits, damper, tea and coffee.

• The 109th Beersheba Day Commemoration begins at 10am on Sunday, November 1, in Woombye, with the parade followed by the memorial service and activities at the Light Horse Museum.