HUNDREDS attending Albury's dawn service on Thursday morning learnt of the link between Border pioneer Elizabeth Mitchell and the first Australian to die in World War I.
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Colonel Bradley Robertson used his guest speaking role to highlight the connection.
"Many of you may know the name Elizabeth Mitchell, she's colloquially known as the Mother of Albury," Colonel Robertson told those on Monument Hill,
"She owned the lands that extended all of the city of Albury, Thurgoona and Table Top, but do you know the name William Malcolm Chisholm?
"William is the great grandson of Elizabeth Mitchell."
The commander of Bandiana's joint logistics unit then related how Sydney-raised Chisholm trained in England to be an army officer.
"As World War I broke out, William then a member of the East Lancashire regiment arrived at the front on the 26th of August," Colonel Robertson said.
"He arrived at a time when the forces were in full retreat, his job was to command a platoon to provide covering force as a battalion was in withdrawal.
"That first day, that first 24 hours of his service for all of us he was killed in that operation.
"For many, many years it was not recognised that he was actually the first Australian killed in World War I."
Lieutenant Chisholm, 22, was buried in the French town of Ligny-en-Cambresis, with his mother interred alongside him.
"Ligny has named their local school after Malcolm and hold a service every year in commemoration of his sacrifice to support their people and their country, but he was an Australian," Colonel Robertson said.
The mild 13 degree pre-dawn weather ensured a big crowd attended the service that was hosted by former Bandiana Army Museum board member Nigel Horne.
