Bunbury 10th Light Horse re-enactment troop keeping Australian World War I history alive by sharing tradition

Bunbury will step back in time on Thursday as the legacy of the Australian Light Horse regiment lives on. One West Australian light horse regiment was recruited for the Australian Imperial Force during World War I, and those men continued to be honoured to this day by re-enactment troops. Bunbury’s 10th Light Horse re-enactment troop will ride in the CBD before the Remembrance Day service to keep the tradition alive. Troop president Daniel McDonald said the group served to provide a tangible reminder of what the day was about. “When WWI started, the youth of the State went off to war and most never came back, so I think we can preserve that in living history by having the WWI uniform and the troopers providing that link,” he said. “I hop on that saddle that’s 100 years old, and it’s been all around the world, and it allows you to have a greater understanding of something that’s larger than yourself and the sacrifice people have made for the way of life that we have, and I don’t think that should be forgotten.” Mr McDonald said the light horsemen were quintessential 1900s Australians. “Similar to the Aussie surf lifesaver, it’s very unique to being an Australian and I think because we’re a young country we need to hold on and celebrate the things that are uniquely ours,” he said.