{"id":334244,"date":"2023-07-06T20:09:55","date_gmt":"2023-07-06T10:09:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=334244"},"modified":"2023-07-07T20:25:11","modified_gmt":"2023-07-07T10:25:11","slug":"wondai-pauses-to-remember","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2023\/07\/06\/wondai-pauses-to-remember\/","title":{"rendered":"Wondai Pauses To Remember"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Member for Flynn Colin Boyce with guest speaker Commander Ronald Forbes RAN (ret’d) and Reserve Forces Day organiser Sgt Noel Selway 1\/19 RNSWR (ret’d)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

July 6, 2023<\/strong><\/p>\n

Her Excellency Governor Jeannette Young PSM was the special guest at this year’s Reserve Forces Day commemoration in Wondai on Sunday.<\/p>\n

The annual event – which is one of the few held in Australia – is always well-attended but the presence of the Governor attracted more than the usual number of attendees at the morning commemoration and parade.<\/p>\n

The day began with a flag-raising ceremony and the laying of wreaths at the base of the Wondai Memorial.<\/p>\n

The crowd then headed up Mackenzie Street to the Wondai Post Office where QCWA volunteers were offering morning tea.<\/p>\n

The marchers then assembled and headed back down Mackenzie Street, saluting the Governor as they passed, and into Coronation Park.<\/p>\n

The parade was led by the Wondai &\u00a0 District Band and the 5th Light Horse Gympie re-enactment troop (see Parade photos, below).<\/p>\n

In the park, everyone gathered in front of the Percy Iszlaub soundshell for the official part of the commemoration, which included prayers by Padre John Cheyne and speeches by Commander Ronald Forbes RAN (retired) and the Governor.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wondai’s Reserve Forces Day commemoration focuses on a different arm of the military each year.<\/p>\n

This year it was the turn of the Navy.<\/p>\n

Commander Forbes’ speech remembered the sinking of the light cruiser HMAS Perth during the Battle of Sunda Strait, near Java, in 1942 with the loss of 353 officers and men.<\/p>\n

Perth had a company of 681. Survivors were taken as POWs by the Japanese but many died on the infamous Thai-Burma Railway. Only 218 of Perth’s sailors were eventually repatriated to Australia after the war.<\/p>\n

Other Australian vessels lost in 1942 included HMAS Canberra, HMAS Nestor, HMAS Vampire and HMAS Voyager.<\/p>\n

Commander Forbes said that all up, nearly 2200 Australian sailors lost their lives just on these five vessels. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

After the speeches, the Wondai & District Band played the Last Post and Navy Reveille.<\/p>\n

Guests were then invited to adjourn to the Wondai Diggers Club for refreshments.<\/p>\n

During her visit to the South Burnett, the Governor also visited Murgon and Wondai hospitals, met members of the Proston Heritage Association and enjoyed lunches at Clovely Estate Vineyard in Moffatdale and with the Proston QCWA.<\/p>\n

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Her Excellency Governor Jeannette Young PSM spoke at the ceremony in Coronation Park<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Governor Young, centre, with some of the official guests at the Reserve Forces Day service at the Wondai Memorial<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Former Reserves and Defence Force personnel await the arrival of the Governor<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Army Reserve members from the A Company 25\/49 RQR travelled from Toowoomba to take part<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Members of Wondai’s 135 Army Cadet Unit played important roles in the ceremonies<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Cr Jane Erkens with Uncle Eric Law AM … the Cherbourg Elder and Vietnam veteran did the Welcome To Country<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Governor Young stands at attention as the National Anthem is played by the Wondai & District Town Band<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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A cadet from the Wondai unit raises the Australian flag beside the Wondai Memorial<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n

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Adjutant for the service was Captain Wally Knight (ret’d) from the Wondai RSL Sub-Branch<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n
\n

\"\"<\/a>
Len McLeod, 97, laid a wreath … the Aussie serviceman served with the US Army Small Ships in World War II<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Cr Kathy Duff, Ros Otto (standing in for her husband, Mayor Brett Otto), Colin Boyce MP, Cr Kirstie Schumacher, Cr Scott Henschen, Cr Danita Potter and Cr Jane Erkens<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Governor Young lays a wreath at the base of the Wondai Memorial … she was followed by representatives from Council, multiple defence associations and individuals<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Some of the wreaths laid on Sunday morning in Wondai<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
After the parade, participants assembled in front of the Percy Iszlaub soundshell in Coronation Park to hear the official addresses by guest speaker Commander Forbes and Her Excellency, Governor Young<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n

\"\"<\/a>
Gary Andersen, from the Wondai & District Band, played the Last Post and Navy Reveille<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n
\n

\"\"<\/a>
Commander Ronald Forbes RAN (ret’d) gave the main address in Coronation Park<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Winston Burrows was keeping everyone in time as they marched into the park<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
The Wondai & District Band played both at the morning service, in the parade and at Coronation Park<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

* * *<\/h2>\n

Parade Gallery<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

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* * *<\/h2>\n

Social Bowls<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
\"\"<\/a>
The annual Armed Forces Challenge Shield was hosted by Wondai Bowls Club on Saturday as part of the Reserve Forces weekend in Wondai (Photo: Noel Selway)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Her Excellency Governor Jeannette Young PSM was the special guest at this year’s Reserve Forces Day commemoration in Wondai on Sunday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":334262,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[16,3],"tags":[26],"yoast_head":"\nWondai Pauses To Remember - southburnett.com.au<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Her Excellency Governor Jeannette Young PSM was the special guest at this year's Reserve Forces Day commemoration in Wondai on Sunday.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2023\/07\/06\/wondai-pauses-to-remember\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Wondai Pauses To Remember - southburnett.com.au\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Her Excellency Governor Jeannette Young PSM was the special guest at this year's Reserve Forces Day commemoration in Wondai on Sunday.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2023\/07\/06\/wondai-pauses-to-remember\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"southburnett.com.au\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-07-06T10:09:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-07-07T10:25:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/20230702reserve01.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"740\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"460\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Anne Miller\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Anne Miller\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2023\/07\/06\/wondai-pauses-to-remember\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2023\/07\/06\/wondai-pauses-to-remember\/\",\"name\":\"Wondai Pauses To Remember - 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