This was a truly memorable day – not least of all because
the forecast rain didn’t fall. We had lots of people praying for fine weather
and the Lord must have heeded our prayers. When we arrived at 9am to put out
the poppies along the paths, there were black clouds overhead, but by the time
the service stated at 11am we had blue skies and hot sun – Thanks Lord!
Ted Bickford and all his assistants, young and old, helped
us put out double rows of poppies along all the pathways and a single row
around the inner garden areas. When we realised we still had more poppies on
the Velcro strips, the young girls decided to put the letters ANZAC out on the
bank behind the memorial.
Graeme Kernick, secretary to the Tuncurry-Forster RSL
sub-branch, was the MC and did an excellent job, despite having to stand
sweltering in the hot sun for a long time. Early in the service, he
acknowledged the work done by the Great Lakes 5000 Poppies project and then
asked Julie and I to come forward. We were surprised and honoured to each
receive a medal for our work in starting and encouraging the work of all the
ladies who contributed to the great visual display there. We feel the medals belong
to all the contributors, not just us.
Frank Brady, the President of the Sub-branch, and Pastor
Moran delivered excellent addresses before the rededication of the War memorial
at Tuncurry in the Lone Pine Memorial Park. This War memorial had been moved so
more people could be accommodated at services such as ANZAC Day and is now centred
on the Lone Pine planted by the Vietnam Vets in 2007. This pine tree is an
offspring from trees that were grown from pine cones taken from the Lone Pine
battlefield in Gallipoli.
After the service, many of us enjoyed food from the Halliday’s
Point Lions club sitting in the shade and enjoying the good Newcastle Army band
concert. They had played also during the service.
It was an excellent day and makes us even more enthusiastic about
ANZAC Day this year when we plan to have a field of poppies behind the
Memorials. There probably won’t be much more in the blog until then. We'll all be very busy attaching several thousand poppies to sheets! -
Margot
