This was published 6 years ago {TheSunday mornig Herald}

Broken Hill, New Year's Day, 1915 was Australia's first terrorist attack

Gool Mahomed sold ice-cream around Broken Hill, so few took notice when the picnic train approached the two turbaned men beside his ice-cream cart flying a strange little red flag with a crescent and star.

The Ottoman flag hung limp in the mid-morning sun as the pair suddenly threw themselves prone in the red dirt and peered down the sights of ancient rifles.

The Manchester Unity picnic train attacked by 'Turks' at Broken Hill on New Year's Day 1915. Photograph: Broken Hill City Library. BROKEN HILL CITY LIBRARY.

They fired, peppering the train with 48 shots as it slowly chugged past carrying men, women and children in open carriages.

One of the bullets smashed into Alma Cowie's head and the 17-year-old slumped over her boyfriend Clarrie O'Brien.

Lorraine Cole, Barry "Fred" Cowie and Peggy Corney visit the site of the Broken Hill picnic train attack where their aunt, Alma Cowie, was shot dead in 1915. SAM SCOTTING

Depending on your point of view, she was the first Australian killed by the enemy on home soil in World War I, or the first Australian to fall to an act of terrorism.