"Coo-ees"

A recruitment banner depicting serviceman G. Harvey in a green kilt with the traditional sporran and feathered bonnet, his hands are raised above his head as he is pictured dancing mid-jig. To the left of Harvey's elbow is an indigenous Australian clutching a boomerang with one hand, while the other cups his mouth as he bellows out a "Coo-ee" to the Australian serviceman pictured to the right of Harvey's elbow, in France.

This work has been attributed to 6051 Private William Kearney of the 39th Battalion. Kearney was born in Dublin, Ireland before emigrating to Ballarat. Prior to enlisting the widower was a professional painter. He enlisted in April 1916 at the ripe old age of 44 and had at least one occasion on his record where he was allowed to relinquish duties to paint 'Div[ision] Cooees'. He was discharged as medically unfit in March 1919 with rheumatism.

The subject is likely 2330 Pte George Thomson Harvey, a native Scotsman from Inverkeithny in Aberdeenshire who was also in the 39th Battalion, enlisted in Victoria in July 1916 and was around Kearney's age, enlisted at 39. Both artist and subject were in France at the time that this work was painted.