Spotlight shines on Darkie

By Jade Lawton
The museum has installed a plaque dedicated to the thousands of animals, mostly horses, donkeys and mules, who lost their lives in war.
The ceremony, on 1 August, coincided with the Southern Hemisphere’s horses’ birthday, which sees Australian and New Zealand thoroughbreds clock up another year.
About 40 people attended the ceremony, along with proprietor Bernie Dingle’s Clydesdale, Darkie.
Mr Dingle said that in World War I horses were lucky to see three weeks’ service before being killed. If they did survive, they would be sold for farm work or meat.
“The main buyers were the city-dwelling Egyptians. It took them a year to save up for a donkey, mule or horse. They would feed the family, extended family and then last of all was the horse,” he said
“As a Westerner you would say that’s pretty cruel, working them to death. And it is pretty sad.”
Mr Dingle said many thousands of animals died on the battlefields without recognition or fanfare. He told the story of Violet Murrell (nee Farmer), who was 10 when World War I broke out. She joined the Purple Cross Society, raising money for horses in war.
In 1934 she died in a stable fire while trying to rescue her favourite horse, Garryowen. The top turnout class of the Royal Melbourne Show was then named Garryowen in their honour.
Pakenham RSL President Ray Caldwell read The Ode before the crowd laid poppies on the new plaque.