THEIR township is named after a famous World War I battlefield and now proud residents of El Arish want it to be a war memorial in its own right.

The tiny community south of Cairns between Innisfail and Tully, which boasts town streets named after World War I generals and outlying roads named after battles, is hoping to bring history to life for countless generations to come.

"We live in what we believe is the only surviving soldier settler town in Queensland to keep its character," El Arish Community, Sport and Recreation Association president Wayne Kimberley said.

"We’d love to see it recognised as a memorial and to keep history alive."

Memories of the Diggers and the wartime are rife in the small community, whose population explodes on Anzac Day when several hundred people arrive for the popular dawn service.

Townspeople have been amassing historical records ranging from the original ledger for settlement in 1922 to old photographs and oral histories of soldier settlers from World War I and World War II.

Historical officer Marie Carman mans a museum in an old railway station building and is hoping walking tours will become a regular occurrence.

Cassowary Coast Regional Council’s Cr Jennifer Downs yesterday said there was huge potential for El Arish as a tourist town and the council would look into whether memorial status was achievable.

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