February 14, 2017
Over 100 Army, Navy and Air Force service personnel will be marching through Kingaroy on Saturday, July 8 to take part in a traditional military ceremony not seen in the region for almost a decade.
They will be arriving in the South Burnett to accept Freedom Of Entry to Kingaroy, a ceremony steeped in tradition, and to renew long-standing ties between the region and Cabarlah.
The service personnel, from the Defence Force School of Signals at Cabarlah, and members of the Queensland Army Band will arrive in buses at Kingaroy Town Hall at 9:00am on the day.
After morning tea, they’ll change into ceremonial military uniforms before lining up in Glendon Street to perform formal drill movements and receive an address from South Burnett Mayor Keith Campbell.
After his address, the Mayor will present an official scroll to the commanding officer which will give the unit permission to enter Kingaroy at any time.
The service personnel will then parade down Haly Street towards Memorial Park.
Near the intersection of Haly and William Streets, though, the Officer in Charge of Kingaroy Police will call on the unit’s commanding officer to produce authority to march.
The CO will produce the Mayor’s scroll, which will allow the parade to proceed into Memorial Park to
salute the Cenotaph and recognise Kingaroy’s fallen.
The parade will then return via Haly Street and Glendon Street – saluting the Mayor as they pass the Town Hall forecourt – on their way to the Alford Street police station where the ceremony will conclude.
After this, the servicemen and women will adjourn to Kingaroy RSL for lunch before boarding buses at around 1:30pm for the trip back to Cabarlah.
The idea of holding a Freedom Of Entry ceremony in Kingaroy is the brainchild of Kingaroy RSL’s Warren Cockburn, reviving similar ceremonies held by the former Nanango and Wondai Shire Councils.
It is being put together by a small organising committee headed by Barry Krosch, Rob McLear, Dean Faunt and Shane Potter.
Mr Krosh said it had taken about six months in the planning, starting with an address he gave to a Council portfolio meeting last October to float the idea.
When he received a positive reaction, he began liaising with the ADF, who had to obtain approval from Canberra to take part.
Last week, Mr Krosch, Mr McLear and two ADF members from Cabarlah’s Defence Force School of Signals met with the Mayor, CEO, Council staff and local police to finalise the event.
“There are still some logistical issues to iron out and we will be calling two public meetings before July to seek assistance from local residents,” Mr Krosch said.
“And we will need two emcees – one to manage the area outside the Town Hall, and the other to manage the ‘challenge point’ near Memorial Park.
“We would also like to give all participating ADF members a small sample bag of Kingaroy products, so we will be seeking some sponsorship for that and a few other incidental costs.”
Mr Krosch said most South Burnett residents will probably never get another opportunity to participate in an event of this type, and he’d be encouraging as many people as possible to witness it – particularly WWII veterans, who the servicemen are keen to meet.
“It will be a spectacle.”
The South Burnett Regional Council will be formally voting to give Freedom Of Entry to the Cabarlah troops at Wednesday’s Council meeting.
South Burnett Mayor Keith Campbell told southburnett.com.au the Council was honoured to have the opportunity to have the ceremony in Kingaroy.
The Mayor said he was also pleased to be able to restore a South Burnett tradition lost during the 2008 Council amalgamations.
[Photo: Clive Lowe Photography]
