Remembering the Mara brothers
Australian War MemorialOn the 17th of April 1917, Sarah Mara received a cable at her home in Jamestown, South Australia. It relayed the news that her son, Sergeant Robert Mara, had died of pneumonia at the 36th Casualty Clearing station in December 1916.
Five of the Mara brothers enlisted to serve in the Australian Imperial Force. At the time their mother received this cable, three of her sons were dead. She did not know what had happened to her two other sons, who had been missing since August 1916.
The Mara brothers came from the small community of Jamestown, in South Australia. At the turn of the century, the town had a population of less than a thousand people and most residents of Jamestown were employed in farming and pastoral work on sheep stations and wheat farms.
There were 12 children in the Mara family, six of whom were boys. In their small rural community, the family was well known. Their eldest son, Alfred Mara, served in the South African War. At the conclusion of the war, he wrote to say he was leaving for Canada, and was never heard from again.
This left the Mara family with just five sons, all of whom enlisted to serve in the Great War. The war was indeed a global conflict on a large scale, and the Mara brothers were just five men among millions who served their countries.
Their story is interesting however, in that it showcases the breadth of experiences of those who served, and shows how a global conflict at its core, is the story of people. Their story shows how the Great War would have further reaching consequences than peace treaties and land movement. It would have consequences for the families, individuals and communities who felt the impact of the war on a far more personal level.
Read the story of the 5 Mara brothers in the First World War - https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/blog/remembering-the-mara-brothers
- Australian War Memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/blog/remembering-the-mara-brothers
