Anzac Community Grant recipients 2017-2019

This event brings 48 schools, teachers and approximately 2000 students from public schools, high schools and independent schools across the Penrith district together to remember the service and sacrifice of our veterans.

This project will develop a dynamic and engaging website and preserve very important Parkes Shire stories of Parkes Shire by expanding  the Interpretative Web links to Quick Response (QR) codes sited on Parkes Memorial Hill and interweave 15 oral histories around three points of interest: *Polish Migrant Camp at Parkes Airport following the Second War World; *Life & Times - living in Parkes during the war; * Local Veteran perspective.

Update the list of names on the local Honour Wall to include the names of all local people who served during military conflicts. Following research the Sub-Branch, has identified many names, including local Aboriginals missing from the role. Those who have served in more recent conflicts are also to be  listed. 

Local Aboriginal Cecil Robert Clayton served for 4-years during WWII and was a war hero as one of the 'Rats of Tobruk" with the 2/13th Battalion. Nicknamed the "Devil's Own" it was the only unit to see out the 241 day siege.
After the war, like many Aboriginal returned servicemen, Robert suffered from discrimination. In 1956 his five children were forcibly removed. 
This project will recognise and promote his story.

This project aims to see the digitisation of National Archives of Australia military  records of Jewish Servicemen and Women and the creation of an  Australian Jewish Military Database to increase access and assist relatives and students research.  

Local Anzac Day commemorations -  A march led by a Bagpiper,  Flag Bearer and the Parade Commander. Followed by a ceremony at the local Cenotaph. Proceedings will include an Anzac Prayer by Sister Helen Anne from Mum’s Cottage at Holmesville, official speakers,  readings and laying of wreaths by local school captains and representatives of community organisations. The commemoration will end with the Ode, The Last Post and the Flag raised to the masthead, followed by closing remarks by retired Major John Doig from the local Anzac Committee.

This project will add new content to the Daughters of Anzac website to educate the general public about the military history of Anzac Parade and the relationship between Anzac Parade and the Great War. The information will also form the basis for the development of a commemorative history walk along Anzac Parade.

To produce a book sharing the experiences of the local young men who served during the First World War to complement these  men's plaques placed beside heritage-listed trees along the Soldiers Avenue of Honour part of the Freshwater Anzac Precinct, a registered Community War Memorial.

The restoration  of war memorabilia in the sub-branch's custodianship. To improve interpretation and education opportunities, and to display memorabilia which would otherwise not be accessible to the local community and ex-service veterans. Memorabilia includes priority sets of war medals and uniforms.  

Oral History research project  to share the stories of 3 local WW2 veterans.

The culmination of four years work  researching and writing the biographies of local fallen soldiers and 16 local nurses who served during the Great War. 

Anzac garden

To create a permanent memorial to commemorate Anzac Day and be a site for the school's Anzac Day and Remembrance Day services.

To allow Association members, other organisations and the general public to share the memory of the engagement and sacrifice on both sides that day in 1914.

To deliver two Anzac day services and  take youth speakers to Canberra to visit the War Memorial. 

To  run the Anzac Day Dawn Service at Bicentennial Park, West Pymble and take youth speakers to Canberra to visit the War Memorial. 

Year 9 students will create a garden and mural which represents and remembers the participation of men, women and ATSI peoples in the defence of Australia. Through narrative writing, the students will create stories representative of various aspects of Australians at war. These stories will be uploaded via QR codes onto the wall, providing a legacy for future students and the wider community to be educated about Australian's at war.

To research and produce both the narrative commemoration and formal commemorative elements of ANZAC service about peacekeepers to audiences of school students and community (mainly RSL) members. The services will be staged at the Civic theatre and Singleton Civic Centre in the last week of term 1, 2019, recorded and published on a website.

To deliver the local Dawn Service( followed by breakfast), a Commemorative service followed by a march and wreath laying service in the Soldiers Memorial Gardens.

To set a suitable site for ceremonial purposes.

To construct a sphere and create a living memorial for students, staff and the Renwick community. To be used as the site for local commemorations it will be  surrounded with pots of Poppies, Cornflowers and Rosemary grown by the students and a large "Flanders field" meadow of sown wildflowers (poppy and cornflowers) with winding mown paths for walking and wheelchair access, and become an interactive educational and community focused experience for students, to perpetuate Australia's collective commemoration and remembrance.

An important memorial service that allows Association members and the local community to join with the families and descendants of the 645 men who died that day in 1941 and share the memory of the engagement and sacrifice on both sides that day.

In recent years, the Committee has identified 'lost' service personnel and erected Remembrance Benches in the Kearsley Remembrance Garden. The Committee has identified more 'lost' diggers from the Elrington area who have been forgotten over the last century (their names appear on no local war memorials) and mount  20 more plaques on the WWI and WWII Benches of Remembrance. A service booklet that also includes short stories and photos of the identified service personnel will also be produced. 

To complement the current Honour Board displayed and create a second honour roll to pay tribute to the locals who have or are serving in the forces in campaigns subsequent to world war 1 and World War 2.

Purchase and place a reflection sandstone bench for students and community members to make use of within the school's existing Anzac Memorial Garden enhanced with a plaque dedicated to the service men and women who bravely and selflessly gave their lives in the service of our country and who currently serve. 

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The day consists of a Commemoration Service dedicated to all serving and ex-ADF Reservists. The theme/focus for 2018 is on the Battle of Hamel which began on 4th July 1918. The three Senior ADF members of Kapooka and the RAAF Base support and attend the service. 

A Stand Tall basketball event for Defence Force families held on Saturday the 28th April to commemorate Anzac Day.The Stand Tall program consists of basketball and leadership programs for young people, with a focus on Defence Force families in Sydney.   The initiative aims to deliver the Stand Tall strength based programs to develop life and leadership skills, using basketball as a means of engagement and providing an impacting experience that inspires participants to set goals and be motivated about their own future. 

To maintain & protect current plaques in the 'Wall of Remembrance' at Jacka Park in Freshwater and  install new plaques to mark the conclusion of the Centenary of Anzac 2018.

Purchase mannequins to display  uniforms that were worn by Australian Defence Forces from 1914 to 2017 including uniforms rarely ever seen by the general public in the The Oberon RSL Sub-Branch museum.

To research and produce a background on local service people and wars fought in to provide insight of previous service and cultures of defence.

To commemorate the sacrifices of these men, the Kearsley Community Dawn Service Committee is eager to organise a much larger and significant Anzac Day Service in 2018 and encourage individuals and families to attend.

In 2018 the New England Regional Art Museum in collaboration with the King Street Gallery in Sydney will be  presenting the new exhibition "In their footsteps: The Western Front 100 years" and bring together a small selection of works by World War One artists with a range of recent works created by some of Australia’s leading artists in response to the experience of visiting battlefields in France and Belgium in early 2017. 

The panel will be on public view, available to school groups and those interested in military history. It's installation will involve the local community and become part of local Anzac services.

Work collaboratively with the local RSL Sub-Branch to deliver on site service ceremonies for clients and members of the public to commemorate Anzac Day, Remembrance Day and other significant military anniversaries.  

To reinstate memorabilia display cabinet so items are securely stowed at the Bombala RSL Club.

To purchase the hardware and software required to develop and display for the public, the entire story of ACE, its wartime history and restoration project to compliment the fully restored tank itself. It is important to have a portable interpretive display, usable indoors and out, so that it can be used within the Museum and easily packed up for transporting with ACE to outdoor public events.

To make and  fit a suitably engraved metal plaque.

Purchase  audio equipment to facilitate audience hearing of the local Anzac Day service which is conducted in an open street location.

Provide a series of  bus trips for local veterans  to visit the Australian National Maritime Museum, the Army Museum, the Fleet Air Arm Museum and the Australian Army Infantry Museum.  

Commemorate Anzac Day and encourage the local community to attend and take part in honoring our veterans.

Purchase a safe and secure cabinet that will allow the museum to effectively display memorabilia of current and former service men and women and promote and continue interest in local military history.

Thirty-four men and women of the Kameruka Estate, Kameruka NSW served during the First World War. 16 did not return home. ‍
Contact has been established with 99% descendants of those who served. They have been invited to attend a special service of re-dedication will be held at the Church, followed by re-dedication of both the Memorial and the Honour roll.

"1918"- Back from the Brink will be a powerful reminder of the ANZAC sacrifice of Lithgow people since WW1.  The play will be performed by students from Lithgow High School with music accompanied by Lithgow City Band and will be seen by the wider Lithgow community.  

Display more of the artefacts held in the society's collection relating to the stories of the districts war veterans and do so in a far more sympathetic, secure and safe matter. 

Purchase a plaque in honour of Lance Corporal Williams and all those who fell during the World Wars. The plaque will be placed on a seat at front of school near flags which will become the site to hold commemorative services.

To meet the cost of the hire of a good quality professionally operated public address system for the 2018 Anzac Day Service.

Produce a centenary history to celebrate 100 years of operation. 

To erect a monument and memorial garden  to enhance the significance of the area that students can honour and be proud of.

A planned display/exhibition to highlight and inform local visitors to the museum of the human side of the sacrifice required by a war or conflict and how it affects the service people, and their families.

Photo wall display of individual soldiers and historic career information to allow further research into local residents participation in various wars.

To provide the community with a service roll that is to be made in a book form of stainless steel with weather/graffitty type resistance/protection material to honour all who served. The information available will educate the locals and travelers to the creek and be a starting point for those wishing to further research their loved ones/relatives.

The "Centenary of Anzac" concert will be conducted on Sunday 22 April 2018. It will include:  performance of traditional War tunes by the National Award winning Gunnedah Shire Junior Band; performance of well known songs from across the last century of war by students of the Gunnedah Conservatorium of Music and  war poetry readings and extracts from letters of service personnel,etc.. read by school students.

Ceate two new displays in the military section of Wingham Museum including: a timeline graphic giving context to the role of Australian forces in major world conflicts from the Boer War through to more recent conflicts in the Middle East. The graphic will be augmented with artefacts from the Museum's collection, highlighting the role local residents have played in these conflicts; a permanent display to commemorate 100-years since the signing of the Great War Armistice, 11 November 1918. This memorial will pay homage to all who served. 

Identify local men and women who served in any conflict from WWI to the present day and document and display their stories.

To purchase a single display case and mannequin as well as a torso to display various uniforms worn by soldiers from 1914 to 1980. 

Research, clean, re-ribbon , label and mount war medals donated by 32 local families of deceased veterans.

Develop a database of the service history, past and present, of family members of the College's staff, current and former students and produce an interactive digital Google slides display that includes photographs, written text, direct quotes, short video clips (obtained via oral history interviews conducted by the schools history students), and QR codes that link to the information in the database.

Research, create and place two heritage signs in our town.  The first will be outside the Town Hall Cinema, formerly the Masonic Hall and the site of soldier farewell events, fund-raising events, recruiting drives, and also of welcome home celebrations. The sign will provide images and text explaining the significance of the place for the servicemen and women, their families and friends.  The second sign will be at the railway station and explain its significance as a site of farewell and return, using detailed stories and examples. 

The HammondCare Hammondville Remembrance Day 2018 Commemoration week provides an opportunity to: thank the residents for their service; commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of WW1. It will include the following activities: mass planting of poppy seeds in the existing garden beds, in time to bloom in spring early summer ; Armistice Ball with orchestra;  Art exhibition and memorabilia displays; a fashion parade spanning 1910 – 1930; a recreation of the Flanders Fields;  a poetry afternoon themed around the war years; a singalong with the Hammondville Choir; a memorial chapel service in the morning followed by a Cupcake decorating competition in the design of poppies and conclude with a high tea with musicians playing music of the era. 

Add 8 small interpretive signs to the Wakool Soldier Settlers Memorial Walk enhancing the current 21 interpretive signs already installed in the walk. The project will be achieved by Action Group members researching information on soldier settlers who settled in the district after WW2 through the internet and the Barham Koondrook Historical Society, and the purchase of military service records from the Australian National Archives. 

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Activities include:  a march through the streets named after battlefields to commemorate our historical link as a community to WW1; archival and artefacts display in the school hall; and new teaching and learning programs

Replace the existing cabinet with a more modern and secure unit to protect the contents from the effects of aging.

Design and install street banners  inspired by local Anzac stories. 

Create an Anzac  Memorial Garden, including the planting of a Lone Pine, to become a quiet place for reflection  and  remembrance, enhanced by a sculpture and plaque representing the service men and women  who bravely and selflessly  gave their lives in the service of our country and to serve as an appreciation to those men and women who survived to tell their story. 

The school's Art teachers, History teachers, students and representatives from Cabravale RSL to design an appropriate mural to honour the sacrifice of the military service in shaping our history.