In researching their 2022 publication ‘E.H. Coombe: The Defiant Anti-conscriptionist’ the authors discovered a lot of background information. Much of this is relevant to people interested in Gawler’s history and may provide the missing link for other researchers. Helen Hennessy revisits the cutting room floor to share the gems they uncovered. Copies of their book wil be available for sale at the event.
Harry Coombe was a ‘self-made man’ of strong principles. With no more than six years of formal schooling, he became a journalist, newspaper editor and member of parliament, representing the Barossa District for 14 years. He advocated for proportional voting, women’s suffrage, the extension of the railway to country towns, and against the closure of Lutheran schools during World War I.
Presented by Gawler History Team