After the declaration of WWI, 120 Light Horsemen from Northern New South Wales encamped at the western end of Marchant's Paddock and later shifted across Murphy's Road to Alonzo Sparkes' Paddock. The camps at Sparks' and Marchant's paddocks were used for training but developed primarily into a remount centre for the supply of horses to the Australian Light Horse. The camp's main gate was just off Gympie Road and it was in Marchant's Paddock where most of the troops trained and lived.