Military

Although it does not have an RSL, Westbrook nevertheless ensures that days such as Remembrance Day are honoured. Last Saturday, at 11am on the 11th of November, people gathered at the Westbrook War Memorial, next to the Westbrook Hall, for the annual service.

The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month marks the anniversary of the Armistice Agreement which ended the First World War. At the Allora Memorial Park on Saturday 11 November service personnel and members of the public paused in silence to remember those men and women who have died or suffered in all wars, conflicts and peace operations.

Kadina Memorial School unveiled its new commemorative tribute to past and present Australian Defence Force service personnel at its Remembrance Day ceremony on Friday, November 10.

Corryong College teacher, Stephen Learmonth ... has undertaken his own project to record the biographies of other servicemen from the region and the Corryong Courier will be printing a selection of these stories in the lead up to Remembrance Day this year on November 11 ... Frank Leslie Butler was born on the 13th of April, 1919 at Tallangatta, Victoria.

Rockhampton Regional Council are pleased to welcome the Singapore Armed Forces to the region for Exercise Wallaby with more than 2000 personnel expected to visit the Rockhampton Botanic Gardens and Zoo ... Exercise Wallaby is a major military activity in the Rockhampton and Shoalwater Bay Area, conducted by the Republic of Singapore.

Residents of Wagga Wagga and surrounds are urged to save the date and head down to the city centre for the Australian Army Band Kapooka’s Freedom of Entry to the City Parade on Sunday 15 October 2023 ... “The Freedom of Entry to the City is a symbolic presentation which represents the highest honour a city can confer on an individual or a Military Unit": Dallas Tout, Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga.

James Lister. On Friday, in my capacity as Shadow Assistant Minister for Veterans, I attended the Brisbane Vietnam Veterans Day service in ANZAC Square and laid a wreath in honour of the fallen. Vietnam Veterans Day is a unique post on our calendar of military remembrances.

Alison McEwen. Victor Boltak writes from Ukraine: "… And your help (Ukraine Appeal) is valued very highly here. "Recently I donated $275 USD for medicine which was taken yesterday to a so called ‘stabilization point’ – this is the first medical help point close to the battlefield where the wounded are delivered from the front lines and where military doctors try to give the first aid and stabilize the condition of the wounded so they could be further moved to the field hospital.

2023 marks 61 years since the arrival of the Australian Army Training team in South Vietnam on the 3 August 1962 and 51 years since the withdrawal of combat troops in 1972. During the Vietnam War 523 Australians gave their life for their country ... the Warwick and district Vietnam Veterans will honour Lionel James Baxter at the Warwick Cemetery in a Service of Remembrance.

Serena Kirby. Members of the Denmark RSL are calling on locals to help support a new returned veterans’ respite program. Known as Albany At Ease, the initiative is designed to assist Australian Defence Force members and veterans who are experiencing mental and physical health challenges as a result of military service.

Nariel woman, Joy Bennetts, will be one of 30 participants from the region who will participate in the Centenary of Legacy Torch Relay which will travel through the streets of Wodonga and Albury on Saturday 5th August. The local torch bearers all have a connection to Legacy or the Australian Defence Force ... King Charles helped kick off the London leg of the Legacy relay.

Aimee McCartney. On May 5, 2023, Headquarters Air Academy (HQ AirA) personnel gathered at the RAAF East Sale Yarning Circle to celebrate the significant service and diverse career of Wing Commander (WGCDR) Garry McKee ... At 16 years of age, WGCDR McKee, from Charlton in Victoria, enlisted into the Air Force as an apprentice Radio Technician.

The Veteran Games is an exciting opportunity for former and current serving military personnel to showcase their physical resilience, teamwork and problem-solving in an Australian-first team competition.

Last Wednesday representatives from the RSL at both district and state levels arrived in town to celebrate and enjoy the facilities at the Allora RSL Hall. Feedback about the RSL and Allora was positive with the state fundraising manager commenting that it’s one of the nicest facilities she’s seen.

Standing since 1921, the Cambooya War Memorial will need to be rebuilt after a vehicle drove into it early last Saturday, causing significant damage including toppling over the obelisk. A Queensland Police Service spokesperson said between 5.50am and 6.10am on Saturday, a single vehicle left the road and hit the War Memorial.

The four honour boards in the Rappville Hall that were destroyed in the 2019 bushfire have just been replaced with new and better versions ... Resident Roger Bailey was a driver of the project to restore the boards that hang on the shiny, white walls of the new hall.

The Northern Territory is currently on show at the Northern Australia Defence Summit – a key industry event to promote opportunities and enhance support for the defence industry. The Northern Territory is positioned as a key enabler for defence in the Indo-Pacific region and the Northern Territory Government is undertaking a range of strategic investments to support a capable and resilient defence industry.

Around 1000 people gathered at first light for Naracoorte’s Anzac Day Dawn Service where a special haka performance enthused the crowd. The performance has since gone viral via various traditional and social media platforms.

Serena Kirby. After a stormy night, the rain stopped and the clouds cleared for this year’s Anzac Day Parade in which participation numbers were down from previous years. An estimated 150 spectators attended the mid-morning street parade and service.

Residents and visitors totalling 55 attended the Anzac Dawn Service in Baker Park, and for the first time since the wet morning in 2017 the kookaburras missed the Dawn Service. This years commemoration was attended by two serving Army personnel, Sergeant Matt Devereaux and Corporal Michael (Mick) Elliott, son of Bill Elliott, from the Air Support Unit, RAAF base in Richmond.