Council has unveiled a commemorative plaque and new street signs in the Special Activation Precinct, named in honour of those who lost their lives or were injured in the Kapooka Tragedy - Australia's worst military training accident.
The special ceremony was held on Wednesday 21 May 2025 to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the tragic event, which occurred during a live explosives training exercise at what was then known as the Royal Australian Engineers Training Depot in 1945.
In partnership with representatives from the Australian Defence Force and the 1st Recruit Training Battalion Kapooka (1RTB), Council officially revealed Pomeroy Drive (formerly Merino Road), Cousins Road and Linthorne Road: newly named in honour of three of the 26 Australian Army servicemen - also called sappers - who died that day.
Among those attending the ceremony were family members of the fallen sappers, including representatives of Sergeant Herbert Pomeroy's family.
Also amongst the special guests were representatives of the Australian Defence Force, such as Colonel Roger McMurray, Representing the Head of Corps for the Royal Australian Engineers, and Commandant of 1st Recruit Training Battalion - Kapooka Colonel Gerard Kearns.
Kapooka First Nations Elder and Australian Army veteran Uncle Hewitt Whyman delivered a moving Acknowledgement of Country, acknowledging the cultural, historical and emotional significance of both the land and the lost lives being honoured.
Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga Councillor Dallas Tout said "Honouring these fallen service members in such a lasting way is a profound privilege for our city.
"This tribute ensures that the names of those who served - and our deep respect for those who lost their lives in the Kapooka Tragedy - will be forever woven into the fabric of our community."
On 24 May 1945, three days after the explosion, more than 7000 people lined the streets of the city to pay their respects to the fallen soldiers, while 200 returned servicemen formed a solemn guard of honour.
Head of Corps for the Royal Australian Engineers Brigadier Mick Say said the Kapooka tragedy remains to this date the Australian Army's largest loss of life in training.
"It had a significant impact on the Corps of the Royal Australian Engineers," Brigadier Say said.
"This tribute to honour the fallen sappers is a fitting way to remember their sacrifice and demonstrates the strong and long-standing connection between the Corps, Army and wider ADF community with the city of Wagga Wagga."
Commandant of 1st Recruit Training Battalion - Kapooka Colonel Gerard Kearns CSC said the Wagga Wagga and broader Riverina communities have always provided outstanding support to the Australian Army, its soldiers, and its families.
"Today's tribute in honour of those killed in the Kapooka tragedy demonstrates the strong connection in this community with serving personnel and their families," Colonel Kearns said.
Merino Road has now become Pomeroy Drive in honour of Sergeant Herbert Pomeroy, one of two instructors who died in the disaster.
The two newly constructed roads have been named Cousins Road and Linthorne Road, commemorating Corporal William Cousins and Sergeant Ronald Linthorne, both of whom also lost their lives in the blast.
The renaming process was guided by Council's adoption in 2023 of a special street naming protocol for the precinct, which included a provision to honour the sappers involved in the tragedy via the names chosen.
Council is proud to play its part in ensuring the memory and sacrifice of these lost servicemen will live on in the renamed streets of the Special Activation Precinct: a part of the city that will serve growth, manufacturing, logistics and industry in the Riverina for generations to come.
📷 Photography by Ash Smith Photography.
