Dawn was sometime off when we arrived at the Glen Innes cemetery at about
4:30am on ANZAC Day to remember and pay our respects to all those who served in
protecting our great country. There was an autumn chill in the air, and the rum and
coffee being served near the fire was welcome indeed! Even this early in the
morning, parking was quite a distance away. Once again, the Dawn Service was
exceptionally well attended by people of all ages.
The Royal Australian Air Force’s Number 76 Squadron was represented by their
Operations Officer, Flying Office Jacky Chan, and four pilots, Pilot Officer Julia
Hoefler, Pilot Officer Charlie Oliver, Pilot Officer Benjamin Beck and Pilot Officer
Angus Whitnall, and the contingent presented wreaths at several services, as did
other members of the community. P/O Oliver, who is originally from New Zealand,
delivered a talk at the main parade later in the day.
The new president of the Glen Innes RSL Sub-Branch, Mr. Lewis Crothers, delivered
heart-felt talks about the conflicts Australia has fought in over the years and the
sacrifices our veterans and their families have made for those of us who are left. The
graves of three veterans (Mr. Don Hall (who passed away only recently) and two
Boer War soldiers Staff Sergeant Richard Goble and Sergeant Donald McIntyre)
were unveiled at the Dawn ceremony.
Following the Dawn Service, a Gunfire Breakfast was held at the Glen Innes and
District Services Club before people left for services at Emmaville and Deepwater,
and later, the main service at Glen Innes and then a service at the Glen Innes
Correctional Facility. Once again, Number 76 Squadron conducted a very impressive
ANZAC Day fly-past over the main Glen Innes ANZAC Day march.
As is the custom, an ANZAC Day lunch following the main services was held for
veterans and their families at the Services Club in Glen Innes and the Memorial Hall
in Emmaville, and these were thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended.
One hundred or more inmates of the Glen Innes Correctional Centre attended the
ceremony there in the afternoon. The ceremony was conducted by the Senior
Assistant Superintendent Sue Bolden and Chaplain Mark Dawson and was attended
by members of the Glen Innes RSL Sub-Branch, James Tattersal and Peter Brown.
Overall, ANZAC Day was extremely well attended, something our community can be
most proud of. Support was provided by every school in the district, and the
speeches and talks provided by captains and prefects were of a very high standard.
This bodes well for future veteran support within Australia.
While the 2026 ANZAC Day was undoubtedly a most successful event,
organisations such as the RSL and Legacy depend heavily upon the efforts of
volunteers and are always looking for more people to help in our efforts to meet the
needs of veterans and their families in our community. New (and old) volunteers are
always welcome!
The Glen Innes Sub-Branch is currently attempting to raise $100,000 for a
monument dedicated to the Middle East area of operations, a modern combat
monument, and for remediation of other, older monuments around the Glen Innes
district. If you would like to volunteer or donate, please contact the RSL office within
the Services Club on any Tuesday, or call the RSL on 0423 000 787 or e-mail us at
glen-innesSB@rslnsw.org.au.
Peter Brown
