South Burnett Remembers

November 11, 2022

Communities across the South Burnett paused at 11:00am on Friday to remember and pay honour to Australia’s war dead.

Formal Remembrance Day commemorations were held in a number of towns including Blackbutt, Yarraman, Nanango, Wondai, Murgon and Goomeri.

As usual, a special ceremony was also held at Boondooma Homestead.

In Kingaroy, a mini-march led by a piper and drummer, was held from the Haly Street gates in Memorial Park to the foot of the rotunda.

(The original plan to march from Burnett Street was scuttled due to Council works on the small bridge that crosses the drain in the park.)

A catafalque party from the Defence Force School of Signals at Cabarlah also assembled to guard the cenotaph during the short ceremony.

The Kingaroy State High School vocal group, led by Sue Dowideit-Reiger, sang Amazing Grace and the Australian and New Zealand national anthems.

Guest speaker was South Burnett mayor Brett Otto who spoke about the history of Armistice Day (now Remembrance Day) and how the end of World War I was marked by Australian troops.

Some barely noted the occasion in their diaries and letters while others celebrated wildly.

The Diggers’ more exuberant celebrations apparently included the burning of park benches in front of Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square in London (and the friendly hosing down of firefighters who were called to douse the blaze).