Damian Shepherd

State Archivist and Executive Director

State Records Office of Western Australia

Operation Plowshare

Damian Shepherd
State Archivist and Executive Director
State Records Office of Western Australia
Operation Plowshare

Remember When – an entertaining romp through bygone days every Sunday night. Join Harvey Deegan and guests as they bring history and our heritage back to life.

Remember When with Harvey Deegan

SRO's Damian Shepherd, 01 March 2026

Daniel Reynaud

SAILOR, SOLDIER, VICAR, FARMER

The Improbable Life of Anzac Chaplain Walter Dexter

 

December 1915: a paunchy middle aged man walked the rugged ridges and gullies above Anzac Cove where, over the previous eight months, these hills and valleys had rung with rifle shots and shellfire, and the war cries and wounded shrieks of Turkish and British Empire soldiers. The man was dressed in the uniform of a captain in the Australian Imperial Force, but he was no fighting soldier. Instead, he wore the badges and dog-collar of a non-combatant military chaplain. As he went, he scattered Australian wattle seeds around the graves of hundreds of soldiers who had died in the heroic but misguided campaign, hoping to shade the dead under the canopy of their native trees. He had personally buried many of the men and put up the simple white wooden crosses – their names and unit painted on them in black.

Walter Dexter was in the early stages of his fourth career. His complexion, gait, medal ribbons and dog-collar were evidence of his having already been a sailor, soldier and parish priest, and although only in his early 40s, he had more career changes ahead of him. By the end of this war, further bravery awards would mark him out as Australia’s most decorated chaplain, while his service from the beginning to the very end of the conflict made his record unique among Australian chaplains.

Daniel Reynaud
SAILOR, SOLDIER, VICAR, FARMER
The Improbable Life of Anzac Chaplain Walter Dexter
&nbsp;
December 1915: a paunchy middle aged man walked the rugged ridges and gullies above Anzac Cove where, over the previous eight months, these hills and valleys had rung with rifle shots and shellfire, and the war cries and wounded shrieks of Turkish and British Empire soldiers. The man was dressed in the uniform of a captain in the Australian Imperial Force, but he was no fighting&nbsp;soldier. Instead, he wore the badges and dog-collar of a non-combatant military chaplain. As he went, he scattered Australian wattle seeds around the graves of hundreds of soldiers who had died in the heroic but misguided campaign, hoping to shade the dead under the canopy of their native trees. He had personally buried many of the men and put up the simple white wooden crosses &ndash; their names and unit painted on them in black.
Walter Dexter was in the early stages of his fourth career. His complexion, gait, medal ribbons and dog-collar were evidence of his having already been a sailor, soldier and parish priest, and although only in his early 40s, he had more career changes ahead of him. By the end of this war, further bravery awards would mark him out as Australia&rsquo;s most decorated chaplain, while his service from the beginning to the very end of the conflict made his record unique among Australian chaplains.

Author Daniel Reynaud with Sailor, Soldier, Vicar, Farmer, 29 March 2026

Ernie Manning  Racing Historian

with

Fin Powrie Former Perth Chief Steward

Ernie Manning&nbsp; Racing Historian
with
Fin Powrie Former Perth Chief Steward

Racing Historian Ernie Manning with Fin Powrie, 29 March 2026

Richard Offen  - Historian, Author, Broadcaster

 Lost Hotels of Perth

Richard Offen&nbsp; -&nbsp;Historian, Author, Broadcaster
&nbsp;Lost Hotels of Perth

SRO's Damian Shepherd, 01 March 2026

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