The Bob Iskov Kokoda Scholarship students are well into serous training for their Kokoda Track experience in July this year.

Beth Meisinger and Cooper Clark from Cathedral College, Angela Keenan from Wangaratta High School (WHS) and Fern Tucker from Galen College have been training in various locations in the Warby Ranges around Glenrowan.

Their training regime has been supported by WHS Physical Education teacher Brett Phillips, who is also an experienced Kokoda Track guide.

Training on the steep southern slope of Mt Glenrowan is very appropriate; Bob Iskov worked as a rabbit trapper along the Warby Ranges after leaving Glenrowan State School at the age of 14 during the Great Depression.

On Sunday 17 May, the Wangaratta group were joined by Abella Beckman from FCJ Catholic College Benalla and Ollie Swain from Euroa Secondary College.

They are recipients of the John ‘Jack’ Dawson Kokoda Scholarship, named after a 2/14th Battalion soldier from Benalla.

Jack Dawson is believed killed in action at Isurava on 30 August 1942, along with the Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Keys.

Their bodies were never recovered, and they are remembered on panels in Bomana War Cemetery.

Ollie and Abella will join Beth, Cooper, Angela and Fern on more training hikes as they build up to a “Big Buffalo’ hiking challenge in mid-June as a finale to their training.

The group leaves from Tullamarine on 28 June with other year 11 students from across Victoria to tackle the physical and emotional challenge of walking in the footsteps of the men who saved Australia.