ANZAC Day Commemorations 2015
To all the wonderful veterans, invited guests and general public who made it to our Anzac Day 2015, we salute you. 600 -700 (some are saying 800) made it to the Cudgen Dawn Service, 1500 made it to the 6am Kingscliff Dawn Service and it is estimated 3500 made it to the main service - what a remarkable turnout. The sub branch endeavoured to provide something a little different for this special event and I believe we achieved it. Cudgen School provided wonderful support, Kingscliff High School were outstanding (both teachers and students) who would have thought you could put on street theatre on Anzac Day and the line up of speakers who were asked to pay tribute to New Zealand (Robert Brumfit), Turkey (George Uber Ildes) and Australia (CDRE Nick Helyer MBE) were without peer - SQNLDR Michael Netherton was asked to join us for Anzac Day and I gave him the job of MC - he was superb with the voice of a radio announcer - please click on the photo for a kaleidoscrope of photos from the day, you are all in there somewhere - again thank you all for caring.
If you enjoy the photo gallery we have provided please thank Tania Spiers-Philips who provided them for us - she is a freelance photographer who shoots for the local newspapers. Tania has also recently started a facebook page called Kingscliff Happenings. Worth a look and thank you Tania.
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President's Gallery
From left to right:
(1) Joe Peoples OAM President 1980 - 2005
(2) Rod Lees OAM President 2006 - 2008
(3) Don Riley JP President 2009 - 2011
(4) Robert Brumfit President 2012
(5) Hugh Aitken President 2013
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Murphy's Memorial Walk
Murphy's Road Memorial Walk: This project was founded by the Wommin Bay Nursing Home and Tweed Shire Council in 1994 and DVA was asked to be involved. The idea had been for carers and staff from the nursing home to be able to walk patients to the beach to view the ocean. It also was designed to follow a natural walking path that would assist the locals to get to the beach and protect the vegetation.
The original application for this project was submitted in 1994 by Ivan McKay who was then Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Wommin Bay Nursing Home. The estimated cost of the project by Council was $45,000/$65,000. It was approved to be opened on 26th April 2007.
In 2007 Brian Vickery (RSL) received a phone call from Mavis Gilmore re General Peter Cosgrove AC, MC having read that he was visiting for the purpose of being the guest speaker at Kingscliff on Anzac Day. Mavis insisted that Peter open the walkway on his visit to Kingscliff. Brian, in protecting the visit by Peter said "No". Mavis was not to be denied, disregarded his advice and rang Peter direct in Sydney via the Tweed Shire Council.
Peter Cosgrove being the incredibly generous person that he is, agreed – the end result was that the stakeholders had a most enjoyable service with the Lions Club providing a sausage sizzle and the nursing home a morning tea. The walkway had its first two plaques.
Kingscliff RSL decided that the walkway was initially designed as a memorial walk and it should be organised to reflect Australians at war and schools should be involved. Since the formal opening in 2007, nine plaques have been added and Kingscliff High School, KIngscliff Public School, St Anthony's Catholic School, Cudgen Public School and Bogangar Public School have dedicated plaques to the walkway. Operational theatres have included Korea, Afghanistan, the Anglo-boer war, Kokoda, Buna and Confrontation in Indonesia. Plaques also have been dedicated to Women at War and the Kingscliff RSL's Women's Auxiliary.
During 2013 plaques were dedciated to "Reserved Occupations' paying tribute to one of Kingfisher Day Club's oldest members Jack Burroughs, who passed away aged 101 years and to Ivan MacKay and Mavis Gilmore who were the founders/drivers and instigators of the Walkway.
During 2014 plaques are being designed for Balikpapan and Somalia and will be dedicated by Duranbah Public School and Fingal Public School. It is also hoped that plaques will be dedciated in the second half of the year by St Anthony's Catholic Primary School and Wollumbin High School.
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Kingfisher RSL Day Club
Kingfisher RSL Day Club: Kingfisher RSL Day Club is a community Day Club which is seed sponsored by the Kingscliff RSL. The club has just celebrated its 9th birthday and is located in and hosted by the Cabarita Sports and Bowling Club. The Day Club boasts about 25 members and six to eight volunteer staff members depending on availability. The club offers a variety of activities for senior members of the community including day trips, games using large size cards and dominos etc, trivia competitions and singalongs with guest artists. Luncheons are held at Christmas and Easter.
The club meets most Mondays and provides a bus pick up service which is provided and staffed by the Kingscliff RSL. The RSL also provides specially arranged services for the members of Kingfisher RSL Day Club around Anzac Day and Remembrance Day.
The responsibility for organisation of events and staffing falls upon the Coordinator of Kingfisher RSL Day Club Ms Liz Baker who is a veteran of community volunteering.
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Jack Burrows
Jack was a regular member at the Kingfisher RSL Day Club first living at Fingal and then at Murwillumbah in his later years. In 2007 Jack held the first of three 'wakes' so that he could be in attendance as he was 97 years of age. He held another in 2008 and a third in 2009 and passed away in 2011 at 101 years of age. Jack ensured there was plenty of drinking and singing much of which he led. He left instructions with his son Jim that there would be no wake after he passed away as he would not be able to attend. He was a 'favourite son' at Kingfisher RSL Day Club.
Jack was a hard working Railway man working at the Roma Street yards in Brisbane. He is survived by his only son Jim (his wife Judith) and five grandaughters
