General News
2 May, 2024
Gilgandra commemorates ANZAC Day
There was a good turn out to both the dawn service and 11am morning service this ANZAC Day in Gilgandra.
There was a good turn out to both the dawn service and 11am morning service this ANZAC Day in Gilgandra. The march from Bridge Street to the cenotaph was led by drummers Quentin Karaitiana and Daniel Organ, who kept the beat for the long column featuring members of Gilgandra Returned Services League (RSL) Sub-Branch followed by many community representatives including military, emergency, and health personnel, schools, and other members of the public. This year’s catafalque party consisted of reservists from Canberra, led by Dubbo-based warrant officer Kenneth Horton. The RSL sub-branch both hosted the services as well as a further service at Cooee Lodge. Breakfast and a luncheon for the marchers, and service personnel was held at the Gilgandra Services Club. St Joseph’s Parish also held a special mass for ANZAC Day.
Mayor Doug Batten was the first to speak at the morning service. He gave a warm welcome to serving and ex-serving personnel and their families, and acknowledged the traditional custodians of this land, paying respect to the many Indigenous Australians who have, and continue to, serve in our armed forces. He said, “today we commemorate those men and women who have given their lives to defend the freedom that we all enjoy”. “We are all aware that ANZAC Day originated 109-years-ago when Australian and New Zealand troops stormed the pre-dawn beaches at Gallipoli. The subsequent battle took a terrible toll with nearly 36,000 ANZACs killed or wounded. Many of them teenagers like some of our young men and women here today. Despite overwhelming odds, they held their ground through courage, perseverance, determination, self-reliance, and above all mateship.” Mayor Batten said that those characteristics didn’t just appear at Gallipoli. They were already part of the Australian character; forged by a hard land, a young nation, and a need to rely on each another in tough times.
The Coo-ee Choir were invited to lead the crowd in the hymn, ‘The Recessional’ followed by ‘I am Australian’. Gilgandra student Sarah Temple gave a reading of ‘At the going down of the sun’. Heartland Church pastor and returned serviceman Alan Croquett led the service in prayer and gave this year’s commemoration address. He said that long before federation, Australia was series of colonies, isolated and scattered. But even then, the untrained and undisciplined colonials, reach out to the world when called upon to defend. During the 1860s Australian forces took part in the Māori [Taranaki] wars. Pastor Croquett said this was the first operation of any armed Australian force. Pastor Croquett listed several other conflicts that Australia has been part of: the Boer War and others, the world wars, and modern operations in the Middle East. He also read a report by Australian writer and poet Banjo Paterson, when he was a war reporter. It said: “I've just seen the Victorian mounted rifles march through on their way to the front. They were a glorious contrast to the riding of the regular troops I have seen. The crowds cheered them liberally as they march through the streets. Each man leading a spare horse”. Paterson went on to remark that the Victorian’s looked more smart and wide awake than the English, who reportedly had a heavy, vacant, and down trodden look about them. “While our compatriots on the other hand, look smart enough to steal a policeman's watch if they had half a chance,” wrote Paterson.
Pastor Croquett said that the reckless valour and Australian character is commemorated on ANZAC Day every year, in every town and village. He said that we remember the bravery of Australians, who have proven themselves in the face of adversity. Jade Elsom then gave the ‘Commemoration of the Fallen’ followed by Madison Riley who recited the poem ‘In Flanders Fields’. Mayor Batten then invited those present to lay their wreaths and tributes on the Gilgandra cenotaph. President of the RSL sub-branch Bruce Horwood read ‘The Ode of Remembrance’ before David Lamb played the ‘The Last Post’. Then a minute’s silence was observed, and Mr Lamb gave ‘The Rouse’. To conclude service, Quentin Karaitiana came forward to sing the New Zealand National Anthem, followed the by the choir leading the Australian National Anthem. The march column then reformed for the return journey down Miller Street. The final event for the service was the 11.55am flyover organised by Brendan Smith at RAAF Richmond, of a C130 Hercules. The aircraft gave two flyovers above Miller Street before continuing on as the crowd dispersed. Other ANZAC Day services were held across the district. Some have been covered in this edition’s Classroom News. Others will be featured in next week’s paper issue.
