CAPELLA, a town 54 kilometres north of Emerald in Central Queensland, lays claim to being the place the emu plume worn in the slouch hat of the Australian Light Horsemen originated.
Given the town’s claim to fame, a memorial to the Light Horse troops was created for it by artist Nick Alderson.
The sculpture is simply titled Light Horse Artwork and consists of two silhouettes, one shows four mounted troopers standing at attention and the other two mounted troopers who appear to be jumping over a hedge.
In the middle is a dismounted trooper standing beside his horse. It is made using steel that has been treated to appear rusted.
The Light Horse Artwork was officially opened by the Mayor of the Central Highlands Regional Council Councillor Peter Maguire on September 12, 2009.
The story behind the now famous tradition tells that one day in early 1891 the Gympie Squadron of the Queensland Mounted Infantry was in Capella during the Great Shearers’ Strike. The days were long and arduous so to break up the monotony, troopers rode alongside emus and plucked feathers to decorate their hats.
In recognition of their service during the shearers’ strike, the Queensland Government made it official that the whole regiment could wear the emu plume on their slouch hat as part of their uniform. The emu plume is something that makes the Queensland Mounted Infantry stand apart from the mounted infantry units of other states. The emu plume was worn on active service for the first time in the Boer War in South Africa.