{"id":350496,"date":"2024-07-11T23:12:08","date_gmt":"2024-07-11T13:12:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=350496"},"modified":"2024-07-11T23:49:46","modified_gmt":"2024-07-11T13:49:46","slug":"wondai-remembers-their-efforts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2024\/07\/11\/wondai-remembers-their-efforts\/","title":{"rendered":"Wondai Remembers Their Efforts"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Members of the 49th Battalion Association …. from left, Paul Woodward, Brisbane; Michael Hawkins, Lowood; Ray Knight, Gold Coast; Ian Fry, Gin Gin; Des Lynch, Greenbank; Chris Fleming, Harrisville; and Brian Turner, Nanango<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

July 11, 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wondai RSL Sub-Branch members and their guests paused to remember the sacrifices made by part-time military personnel during the annual Reserve Forces Day commemoration on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Reserve Forces Day was originally an Australia-wide event, acknowledging the more than 1.25 million people who have served in Defence Reserves since 1900.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sadly, these days Wondai is one of the few locations left which actively recognises the sacrifices made in so many conflicts.<\/p>\n

This is possibly because the town hosts the 25\/49 RQR Battalion, which parades at the depot in Bramston Street most Tuesday nights.<\/p>\n

Reserve Forces – or Citizen Military Forces as they were formerly known – have existed in one form or another in Australia since before Federation, but especially came to the fore during World War II.<\/p>\n

More recently Reserve units have served in Iraq, Afghanistan, East Timor and the Solomon Islands.<\/p>\n

Wondai’s organising committee selects a different branch of the Reserves to honour each year<\/p>\n

This year it was the turn of the Royal Australian Air Force.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Guest speaker was Air Commodore Robert Graham, from RAAF Base Amberley.<\/p>\n

The morning began with a short commemoration service and the laying of wreaths at the base of the Wondai Memorial.<\/p>\n

The names of seven Wondai residents who died while on active service in 1944 during World War II were read out.<\/p>\n

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

A parade then assembled and marched back down Mackenzie Street, led by the Wondai Town & District Band, before heading into Coronation Park for the second part of the morning’s commemorations.<\/p>\n

Air Commodore Graham and South Burnett Mayor Kathy Duff took the salute as the parade passed by.<\/p>\n

In the park, Deputy Brigade Chaplain Major (AAC) David Taylor shared prayers and Air Commodore Graham addressed the crowd.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Since 1901, the nature and form of Reserve Forces have changed in many ways but at its most fundamental it remains the same today as it always has – a volunteer force which is prepared to serve when called on for the good of Australia,” Air Commodore Graham said.<\/p>\n

“It is somewhat perplexing to me that it took almost a century for this country to appropriately recognise the contribution that Reserve Forces make.”<\/p>\n

The first Reserve Forces Day parades were held in 1988.<\/p>\n

This is the 19th year that Wondai has hosted a Reserve Forces Day commemoration, and the 18th time it has held a parade.<\/p>\n

Air Commodore Graham praised the Wondai organising committee for their commitment and dedication to keeping Reserve Forces Day alive.<\/p>\n

“Wondai is the last remaining town that conducts a parade and a service of this nature,”\u00a0 he said.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Guest speaker Air Commodore Robert Graham, from RAAF Base Amberley, with Emma Lindholm (representing Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington), South Burnett Mayor Kathy Duff and Cr Ros Heit<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Air Commodore Robert Graham with organising committee member Noel Selway<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n
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Deputy Brigade Chaplain Major (AAC) David Taylor with Seth Taylor, from Brisbane<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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Mayor Kathy Duff with members of the 5th Light Horse Gympie re-enactment troop … the troop always play a key role in the Reserve Forces Day parade<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Noel Selway sounded the bugle at the ceremony at the Wondai Memorial<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n
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Captain Wally Knight (ret’d) from the Wondai RSL Sub-Branch compered proceedings<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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Jirina Kalous, Jock Hunter and Jill Burgess, from the Pine Rivers and Sandgate Royal Australian Air Force Association<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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John Burgess and Phil Symonds from the Pine Rivers and Sandgate RAAFA<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n
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Wakka Wakka Elder and Vietnam veteran Uncle Eric Law AM did the welcome to country<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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A proud contingent of former Defence Force personnel assembled in front of the Wondai Memorial for the Sunday morning wreath-laying ceremony<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Air Commodore Robert Graham laid the first wreath on the memorial<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Colourful wreaths were laid at the foot of the monument by representatives from regimental\u00a0 and local organisations<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Reserve Forces Parade\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

The annual parade began at the Wondai Post Office, led by the the Wondai & District Band and the 5th Light Horse Gympie re-enactment troop:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wondai RSL Sub-Branch members and their guests paused to remember the sacrifices made by part-time military personnel during the annual Reserve Forces Day commemoration on Sunday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":350504,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[26],"yoast_head":"\nWondai Remembers Their Efforts - southburnett.com.au<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Wondai RSL Sub-Branch members and their guests paused to remember the sacrifices made by part-time military personnel during the annual Reserve Forces Day commemoration 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\/2024\/07\/11\/wondai-remembers-their-efforts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Wondai Remembers Their Efforts - 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