Island horses take centre stage in movie project
For as long as she can remember, Violet Whitaker has been passionate about horses.
As president of the 5th Light Horse Regiment in Hervey Bay, about 280 kilometres north of Brisbane, her focus is preserving the region's equine history for future generations.
When she learnt some of the horses on K'gari, formerly Fraser Island, were involved in Australia's military efforts during World War I, she knew it was the perfect backdrop for a short film.
"[It's an] insight into the intimate bond between war horses and their riders," Ms Whitaker said.
From wild brumby to war steed
Clydesdale horses were introduced to K'gari and bred to bolster the Indian Army's steed supply in the late 1800s, according to Queensland's Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI).
Loggers also used the herd during this time to haul timber across the island.
The Clydesdale horse and the Arab thoroughbreds eventually bred to form the wild horses previously seen on K'gari. (Supplied: Violet Whitaker)
Maryborough RSL sub-branch president Christopher Nelson said the Clydesdale breed worked best for these two purposes.
"They were large, heavily boned and very muscular," he said.
Mr Nelson said Arabic thoroughbreds were later brought to the island to meet the growing demands for horses needed for the Boer War.
The leftover stock eventually interbred to create the brumby population, which were considered ideal creatures for World War I.
Christopher Nelson say the broad hooves of K'gari's wild horses made them ideal candidates for World War I. (ABC Wide Bay: Olivia Nunes-Malek)
"[They had] broad hooves which were beneficial for desert environments, and light-muscled which would have given them manoeuvrability," Mr Nelson said.
On the frontlines
Australia sent more than 120,000 horses overseas during the war.
Those taken from K'gari were among the 39,000 sent to the Middle East between 1914 and 1916, according to the Australian War Memorial.
But the total number taken from the island was not known, Mr Nelson said.
After leaving the island, the horses were sent for training at military camps across Australia.
The horses taken from K'gari undertook training at different military camps across Australia. (Supplied: Violet Whitaker)
Mr Nelson said the process involved "breaking in" the horses to feel comfortable with different tasks, including wearing a saddle or hearing loud explosions.
"Because of their strength they were used to pull artillery, they sourced water and carried soldiers into conflict," he said.
Military historian Jean Bou said after the training, handlers transferred the horses to Australian ports to be shipped to Egypt and Palestine.
Dr Bou said the horses needed about six months to acclimatise to their new surroundings.
Jean Bou says it took roughly six months for the wild horses to get used to their new environments. (Supplied: Jean Bou)
"They had a long period of getting used to the new climate, whatever the local food sources were and then exercised to make sure their fitness was sufficient," he said.
Most of the horses that Australia exported died during the war, but Dr Bou said the surviving horses faced different fates.
"The older horses were destroyed and the younger horses were absorbed into the imperial remount system in the Middle East," he said.
Only one horse, Major General Sir William Bridges's charge named Sandy, returned to home soil in Sydney.
Roughly 39,000 horses shipped from Australia were used on the frontlines in Egypt and Palestine. (Supplied: Violet Whitaker)
"He lived a life of luxury, in a paddock, well fed, well attended to, and he was retired and he was famous," Mr Nelson said.
"I think he got a lot of attention by the early newspapers and by photographers and everything else."
From the horse's eye
The Forgotten Horses of Fraser (K'gari), which Ms Whitaker wrote and filmed on Queensland's Fraser Coast, follows the fictitious journey of a brumby from the island chosen to be one of thousands of steeds to serve in the Middle East.
The filmmaker said viewers would experience the war from a unique perspective.
Violet Whitaker says the feedback she has received about the upcoming film has been "overwhelming". (ABC Wide Bay: Olivia Nunes-Malek)
"It will be narrated by a horse, to show the huge sacrifice horses did for the war," she said.
The project was created over nearly 12 months on a "shoestring budget" of $20,000 from community donations and Ms Whitaker's savings.
She said the ongoing support from residents was "overwhelming".
Mr Nelson said the film, in its final post-production, encapsulated the "strong attachment" between a rider and their mount.
The 40-minute project was filmed at multiple locations across the Fraser Coast region. (Supplied: Pluggas Studios)
"They were your partner, your war comrade, your friend and lifesaver," he said.
The 40-minute film will have a limited release at select cinemas across the Fraser Coast later this month.
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