EXPRESS Paying their The
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Locally owned and proudly independent
respects By Boyd Robertson
I
n the pre-dawn dark, hundreds gathered at Yungaburra’s Avenue of Honour on the shores of Lake Tinaroo to pay respect to the sacrifices of ANZAC soldiers. The Avenue’s inaugural ANZAC Day dawn service on April 25 marked 99 years since the Gallipoli landings, and was attended by about 500 people. Military, civilian, young and old alike converged for the ceremony, including 1RAR’s rehabilitation platoon from Townsville and veterans of the ongoing Australian deployment in Afghanistan. The event was spared from heavy rains that had fallen on the area in the previous two days, with a magnificent sunrise over Lake Tinaroo at the closing of the ceremony. It followed the traditional dawn service structure with the mounting of a catafalque party around the Avenue’s memorial sculpture, commemorative addresses by retired Digger Mark Matthews and the performance of the Last Post and the Rouse with a minute’s silence between. During a reading of ‘In Flanders Fields’, a young private standing to attention alongside his comrades in the 1RAR rehabilitation platoon from Townsville suddenly collapsed, unconscious. Instantly two soldiers on either side of him grabbed the fallen man under their arms and pulled him away,
Gordon Chuck and master of ceremonies Mark Matthews in front of the Avenue of Honour’s memorial sculpture after the ANZAC Day dawn service on April 25.
House & Land Package $351,590
4 Bed, 2 Bath + Alfresco Proposed for Lot 206, 3914m2
Austart Homes Tablelands QBCC 1076708
Hamilton 221 on 206
bringing him round, giving him water and making sure he was alright before they returned to parade formation. Despite his state the private returned to stand to attention behind the formation for the rest of the service. Among the attendees was Stuart Cummings, a recent veteran of the 2nd Commando Regiment who left the service in December last year. Mr Cummings, who has recently become part of the Avenue of Honour Committee, was deployed to Afghanistan and knew ‘quite a few’ of the 40 Australian soldiers whose names are inscribed on the Avenue’s memorial wall. He said that it was obvious to him the ANZAC tradition remained strong in the Australian public’s minds. “Even more so now with the current conflicts that we’re involved in, it’s inspiring people and especially young people to turn out to the dawn services and I think that’s something special,” he said. “I love the concept of the Avenue, it has a lot of meaning to myself and the other veterans and I think it’s just gone from strength to strength.” Gordon Chuck, the father of deceased soldier Ben Chuck whose passing inspired the creation of the Avenue, said his son’s friends had reached out to him to share the spirit of the day. CONTINUED P5
therise.net.au Debbie 0409 321 920