Bould, big trek by duo

By Jade Lawton
TWO local teenagers have trekked the Kokoda Track in memory of Cardinia’s fallen soldier, Harold Bould.
Beaconhills College student Liam Trigg and Lauren Harrison from Kooweerup Secondary College, who successfully completed a 14-day tour, are encouraging other teenagers to enter the competition, now in its third year.
“It was really good to experience the trek first-hand,” Liam said.
“We met local families, hired canoes and went to the garden to see their vegetables. The people were really friendly and they would go to great lengths to help you out.”
Liam and Lauren impressed the judging panel with their 750 word essays explaining what Kokoda meant to Australians.
For Liam, the trek also had a personal significance – his great uncle, Richard Crowe, was one of the original soldiers to fight in Kokoda.
While Liam’s relative returned, Cardinia resident Harold Bould was not so lucky.
He died in Kokoda Village eight days after the Japanese landed on the north coast of New Guinea on 29 July 1942. His remains have never been found.
Alan Jameson from the 39th Battalion, one of the judges of the competition, said the family of Harold Bould was denied a proper chance to say goodbye.
“There is a memorial for Harold Bould in Cardinia, but now (in these two teenagers) we have a living memorial to him – because they will never forget,” he said.
“The whole purpose of the walk is so the young people of today understand the sacrifice made.”
Eastern Victoria MP Edward O’Donohue, who assisted in the fundraising to make the trip possible, said the experience was a valuable one for local youth.
“The Cardinia Shire is a young community which needs future leaders, and this is a good way to develop them,” he said.
Students who live or study in the Cardinia Shire are eligible to apply for next year’s trek.
Application forms are available in schools.