14 purpose through the spring and following summer. The first contingents proceeded overseas. Then, towards the end of April 1915, rain set in. The place became a quagmire. Flu and measles raged, even meningitis. ‘The climate of Broadmeadows has small mercy on weaklings’, said one newspaper. Most of the remaining trainees were relocated to Puckapunyal. April 1915 also represented the start of the Gallipoli campaign, the birthplace of the ANZAC legend. Reports of multiple Australian deaths and casualties galvanised a further recruiting campaign and a new wave of enlistments. But where were the new recruits to be accommodated? The wide open spaces of a city racecourse had an immediate appeal, but tents were in short supply. The solution was the agricultural pavilions at the Royal Agricultural Society Showgrounds on the other side of the railway to the racecourse. They called it ‘the Flemington Camp’. By July, 4000 men were accommodated there. The committee of the VRC watched with mixed feelings. As a group, nobody was more patriotic, and already the Club had decreed that profits from wartime meetings should go to war funds. But they were adamant that racing, even if reduced, must continue at Flemington. It was partly a case of morale, partly ensuring that the industry of breeding thoroughbreds should continue. And horses, of all breeds, had a huge part to play in warfare in that era. Thousands of Australian war horses were sent to overseas theatres of war, never to return. Still the AIF recruits kept coming, and the Showgrounds pavilions reached capacity. At first there were thoughts that the racecourse infield could be used for tent accommodation, but the real attraction here was for drill, marching and military exercises. At the end of July, the VRC agreed to make the Maribyrnong Stand available as temporary sleeping accommodation. Illustration of the Flemington racecourse including the Maribyrnong Stand (far right). (VRC Collection)
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