{"id":371683,"date":"2026-04-29T22:12:43","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T12:12:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=371683"},"modified":"2026-04-29T22:12:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T12:12:43","slug":"rain-falls-like-tears-during-last-post","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2026\/04\/29\/rain-falls-like-tears-during-last-post\/","title":{"rendered":"Rain Falls Like Tears During Last Post"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The rain, which had held off for most of the morning, began tumbling down again on cue as Matt Phillips began to play the Last Post in Kingaroy’s Memorial Park rotunda<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

April 29, 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

A few light showers could not disrupt Kingaroy’s Anzac Day commemorations on Saturday morning.<\/p>\n

The morning began at 4:28am – the time the original Anzacs landed at Gallipoli – with a Dawn Service in Memorial Park led by former South Burnett mayor Keith Campbell OAM.<\/p>\n

Sub-Branch members then travelled to the Taabinga Cemetery for a small ceremony at the official war graves (see below).<\/p>\n

A highlight of Kingaroy’s Anzac Day is always the morning march, which proceeds down Kingaroy Street into Haly Street and Memorial Park.<\/p>\n

The rain held off as hundreds of marchers, including veterans, school students, members of community associations and local residents, pounded the pavement.<\/p>\n

Guest speaker, Wing Commander Chris McInnes, took the parade salute from the official dais in Haly Street accompanied by local MP Attorney-General Deb Frecklington and South Burnett Mayor Kathy Duff.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Three high school students, Charlie Sparks (Kingaroy State High School), Cornelius Curtain (St Mary’s Catholic College) and Grace Bjelke-Petersen (St John’s Lutheran School), carried the flags at the head of the march.<\/p>\n

After the marchers found their seats in the park, the morning service began at the rotunda with prayers, hymns, the Last Post and wreath laying.<\/p>\n

Music was supplied by the Kingaroy State High School symphonic band and a choir, led by Sue Dowideit-Reiger.<\/p>\n

Students Matilda Dyee (St Mary’s), Indianna Bannon (Kingaroy SHS) and Kayleigh Johannesen (St John’s) read the Resolutions which echoed those approved for Queensland’s first Anzac Day commemoration in 1916.<\/p>\n

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

Guest Speaker<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

The guest speaker at Kingaroy’s morning service was Wing Commander Chris McInnes who\u00a0graduated from Kingaroy State High School in 1998.<\/strong><\/p>\n

After being commissioned in the RAAF, Wing Commander McInnes undertook specialist training as an air intelligence officer. He has completed multiple operational tours in the Middle East with Australian and Coalition air forces and is currently a full-time reservist at the Air and Space Power Centre in Canberra.<\/p>\n

Many people commented afterwards that this was the best Anzac Day speech they had heard, so southburnett.com.au has decided to share it here for our readers (with apologies for the quality, as this was not the original intention for the recording.)<\/em><\/p>\n