ANZAC Day

Port Broughton's foreshore has once again transformed into a sea of red, with the Barunga West Council's annual Poppy Fields installation unveiled earlier than usual, to coincide with the Easter holidays. Now in its third year, the display was initiated by Mayor Leonie Kerley in 2023 and features 1232 handmade poppies affixed to crosses — a striking tribute to Australians who served and sacrificed.

Even today, at 104 years of age, 16 years later, May Craig still stands straight with her sense of humour still firmly in place and her national pride still unquestioned ... "When war was declared in 1939, our population was just over 6 million ..."

Member for Mildura, Jade Benham, recently embarked on a moving journey to Villers-Bretonneux to pay respects on Anzac Day and celebrate the 40th anniversary of the twinning with Robinvale.  

A moving Anzac Day dawn service was held in Naracoorte to remember fallen soldiers and service people on April 26. Mayor Patrick Ross described the service as "amazing”.

This year the Goomburra Town Hall recently constructed Memorial Garden was the nucleus for the Anzac Day Service. Although numbers were small it was a touching service presented by Jenny Newton and Mary-Lou Gittins OAM.

99 year old Veteran Des Donovan received a surprise visit by his niece Kerrie and nephews Maurice and Peter Donovan. An extra treat for Des was a greeting from a very friendly and nosey horse from the Darling Downs Eleventh Light Horse Regiment.

It was early in the afternoon of Anzac Day last week. Under a cloudy sky a crowd of 60 or more gathered around the Peace Cairn at Nuggetty for a unique commemoration service.

Clear Autumn skies ensured strong crowds at the 2024 ANZAC Day ceremonies in Coolamon last Thursday. The Coolamon community turned out in strong numbers at the Dawn Service and 11am Commemoration.

Patricia Gill. ANZAC Day was marked in Denmark last week with a recollection of service and sacrifice in all wars at the War Memorial ... Denmark Historical Society president Bev McGuinness in her address to the crowd gathered said this year marked 110 years since the beginning of WWI. At that time Denmark’s population was only 200, though 83 men and two women enlisted and of those 37 men died. Both the women, Nellie Saw and Florence McKenzie, who were nurses, died soon after the war.

The guest speaker at this year’s Anzac Day service in Corryong provided an insight into one man’s experience in WWI and his contribution to the local community upon his return. Michael Greenham spoke about his just-published book, ‘Devotion To Humanity’, detailing the life of his great-uncle and WWI veteran, Doctor/Captain David Peter Greenham. Doctor Greenham grew up in Dartmoor but spent almost all of his 30-year medical career in Corryong between the two World Wars.