November 11, 2012
About 300 people braved cold, overcast weather to attend a special Remembrance Day combined church service and commemoration at Kingaroy Town Hall.
The service was organised by the Kingaroy-Memerambi RSL Sub-Branch, the Kingaroy and District Ministers Association and the South Burnett Regional Council.
It replaced the traditional commemorative service held at the Memorial Park Rotunda this year because Remembrance Day fell on a Sunday.
The last time this occurred was in 2007, when the Sub-Branch organised a similar event.
This morning’s service was emceed by Pastor Geoffrey Folker from the Kingaroy Baptist Church, and began at 9:30am with the singing of the national anthem while cadets from the 135 Australian Army Cadet Unit in Wondai trooped two Australian flags into the hall and placed them in front of the stage.
This was followed by a number of hymns, prayers and short addresses by other guests, including South Burnett Deputy Mayor Keith Campbell and members of the Ministers Association, while the audience advanced to the front of the hall in groups to place Remembrance Day poppies into three wreaths set up for the purpose.
Barry Nancarrow was the day’s special guest speaker. He spoke about the 102,000 Australian lives lost in wars since the signing of the Armistice on November 11, 1918 (which Remembrance Day commemorates).
He also spoke about the seeming inevitability of wars in future while human nature remained the same, and then about the bonds of mateship which have led Australian armed forces personnel to perform many heroic acts in all the conflicts they’ve been asked to serve in from Gallipoli onwards.
A collection was taken up to assist Legacy, the charity which provides services to Australian families suffering financially and socially after the incapacitation or death of a spouse or parent, during or after their defence force service.
Legacy currently cares for 100,000 widows and 1900 children and disabled dependants throughout Australia.
The church service concluded with a minute’s silence for Remembrance Day at 11:00am, after which the flags were trooped out of the hall.
The audience then moved to the forecourt for a free sausage sizzle provided by the Salvation Army and the Kingaroy Masonic Lodge.
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