Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Farewell to Proserpine
The war God’s gong again has rung,
Across the world is hurled his mace,
Any any a man from home far flung,
To whirl within his mad mill race.
So caught within his boiling stream,
I go to fight o foreign land,
Yet when I’m gone I’ll ever dream
Of hills so far of sun so grand.
That shine so bright at Proserpine,
Upon her streets, her hills, her farms,
Within her shrine all joy was mine –
Content was I with all her charms.
Yet now I must a farewell take
From all I loved and held so dear,
‘Tis not without a sad heart-ache,
I leave to don a bandolier.
And though the shell shall scream and whine,
Explode and hurl it fury round;
Through all I’ll dream of Proserpine,
For there I found a peace profound.
Enjoyed sweet hours of prayer and play
Delicious moments bountiful,
Which strife must never disarray,
Nor battle terrors e’er annul.
The hour has come, I travel far;
But in he dear days yet to come,
When sheathed the deadly seimitar,
Once more I’ll see my sweet, sweet home.
But first must end war’s retinue;
And peace’ blest face on mankind shine.
Till then I id a sad adieu,
A long farewell to Proserpine.
- Gunner B.J. Lewis

Born 14th August, 1917, son of John Bernard Lewis and Clara Mildred Hawke. Children of John and Clara are : Clara Josephine (1912) Ellen Mary (1913) Winifred Margaret (1915) Bernard Joseph (1917) Neville Edgar (1921) Attended Strathdickie School.
"He had many close calls, with New Guinea seeing some of the fiercest fighting. In one battle his company lost 38 men in 20 minutes."
Returned to Proserpine in 1945 & worked for a time with the Shire Council as an owner-driver truckie, then purchased his own cane farm at Cannon Valley.
Always interested in local affairs, twice was a delegate to the annual conference of the Australian Sugar Producers Association & was a Director on the Proserpine Mill Board.
Selling his farming interests to enter into printing & publishing with the Whitsunday Printing & Publishing Company which took over the Proserpine Guardian in 1960. Developing the business to have 2 full time working partners & a staff of 14.
Member of Rotary, Chamber of Commerce, Mill board member, a term as Boards Director, 15 years as a counsellor on Proserpine Shire Council. Life member and patron of the Proserpine R.S,.L.