How Kingaroy Remembered Them

20150425 Kingaroy Anzac Day 2015 — Commodore Brett Wolski, who grew up in Kingaroy, was this year’s guest speaker at the annual
Anzac Day Commemoration Service in Memorial Park

April 28, 2015

Record crowds attended Kingaroy’s two Anzac Day services on Saturday to mark the centenary of the Gallipoli landings and the birth of the Anzac tradition.

The Dawn Service was held at 4:28am in Memorial Park and attracted an estimated 2000 people.

It was a briskly run affair and afterwards guests adjourned to the Kingaroy RSL for fellowship.

But the Commemoration Service held at 10:45am was a much more elaborate ceremony, and drew an even bigger crowd.

As usual, the Commemoration Service kicked off with an Anzac Day march from the RSL to the park, led by highland pipers.

When the parade arrived at Memorial Park and disbanded, the Commemoration ceremony began, starting with the positioning of a Catafalque Party – a service performed this year by enlisted personnel from the Amberley Air Force Base.

A special feature of this year’s Service was the official unveiling of a marble statue of a World War I digger which had been specially commissioned by the RSL for the Centenary commemorations.

The statue was on public view at the Dawn Service, but was covered by a drape when guests arrived for the mid-morning service.

20150525 Anzac Statue — Craig Jessen, from K.C. Monuments in Toowoomba, crafted the statue
(Photo: Pam Marquardt)

The honour of officially unveiling it went to Commodore Brett Wolski, a former Kingaroy resident who was this year’s special guest.

Commodore Wolski read a two-page speech on the Anzac tradition before unwrapping the statue, which was then blessed by Reverend John Selwood.

The Service then passed through a traditional format that included an opening prayer; the reading of the 1st Resolution by Kingaroy State School captain Georgia Nassif; a hymn performed by the Kingaroy State High School Choir and Concert Band; and an address by Commodore Wolski.

This was followed by the reading of the 2nd and 3rd Resolutions, performed by KSHS Captain Daniel Favier and St Mary’s Catholic College captain Rory Browne respectively, then wreath laying while Wayne Darr piped the Lament.

After this, the Roll Of Honour was read out.

This was followed by The Last Post, the Ode, Rouse, another hymn and a benediction before the service concluded with the singing of the Australian and New Zealand national anthems, after which guests were invited back to the RSL for a light lunch.