After writing six articles a year ago, Capt Adams continued scratching the itch and turned it into something combined and more formal.
It also allowed him to break loose of the shackles of word count limits and restrictions on photos — the bane of writers for newspapers for more than a century.
The army came to the table with some funding to print the book, and he was off and running.
“I spent three months finding extra pictures and going back for more research,” Capt Adams said.
“I went back to what people said about what was happening at the time, going back through Trove for newspaper clippings from around World War I and World War II.”
He said the report of Lord Kitchener, the British commander-in-chief who visited Seymour in 1910, was one that stuck out.
Lord Kitchener and a number of his entourage were in civilian clothing, and on their arrival at the base the soldier at the gate, who hadn’t been briefed, only saluted the captain.
Alongside that story is the photo of an arch and gum trees along what became Anzac Ave, Seymour, which are no longer there.
Capt Adams said the aim of the book was to let people know about the military history of the area.
“There were two huge trees called the Kitchener trees and a plaque on them commemorating the arch ... it’s all disappeared now,” he said.
“A lot of people think Seymour and Puckapunyal were only set up as military installations in October 1939, but it goes back much further than that.”
Copies of the book will be given to the RSL and other organisations in town and the Seymour Historical Society will put a digital version on its website.
The Telegraph has 20 copies of Military History of Seymour and Puckapunyal 1903-1969 to give away. To enter, fill in the coupon in the paper or send an email to editor@seymourtelegraph.com.au with the subject line ‘Military History’ by 5pm on January 20. Winners will be notified.
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