Sharman Stone (Murray, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Euroa is a small, tight-knit community and beautiful town on the banks of the Seven Creeks. Euroa has always been a special place. I am pleased that it is now within the new boundaries of the Murray electorate. I want to acknowledge the uniqueness of Euroa and district in having some three winners of the Victoria Cross, our highest award for bravery in the field of battle. Only 99 of Australia's soldiers, sailors and airmen have been awarded the VC, so for three to have been awarded to people from this same small community is quite exceptional and something that the community is enormously proud of.

Euroa wants to honour their three sons who showed this extraordinary courage. They are aiming to do that with three special bronze statutes, which they aim to erect on the banks of the Seven Creeks near the current RSL. That involves a lot of fundraising, so we will be trying to help them as much as we can so that they can raise the funds to make sure that these three VC winners are properly acknowledged and never forgotten.

The first of these winners was Lieutenant Colonel Leslie Cecil Maygar. He now has a hill named after him on the Hume Highway. Some people will recall that hill. He was awarded the VC during the Boer War and was one of six Australians to receive that award. He then enlisted in World War I. He was further decorated and mentioned in despatches, but sadly died at the age of 49 on 1 November 1917, a proud member of Eighth Australian Light Horse. He is buried at Beersheba.

The second and third heroes, these two VC-winning young men, were in the same Lone Pine action at Gallipoli.Neither soldier survived the war. Lieutenant—later major—Frederick Harold Tubb displayed exceptional bravery at Lone Pine on 9 August 1915. He had with him, and I am sure that they were very great mates, another local man, Corporal Alexander Stuart Burton VC. Both of these men were well known in the district. Their families continue. Burton Stores is well known as an iconic shop in the town of Euroa. I want to commend this small town for not forgetting its exceptional heroes. I want to commend their fundraising efforts. It will be an exceptional effort to raise the $300,000-plus required. But these three VC winners will be cast as bronze likenesses. They will stand forever on the banks of Seven Creeks under the beautiful shade trees. Also a memorial avenue will be rehabilitated to make sure that the other great heroes of this area, the other returned servicemen and servicewomen, are never forgotten. We do not celebrate war in Australia, but we never forget.