Cathy McGowan (Indi, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Remembrance Day this year is going to be a very special commemoration—100 years since Beersheba and the Light Horse and 75 years since Kokoda. I'll be spending the day down at Marysville RSL. I am looking forward to meeting up with Ron Jones, the president, and Graham Eddy, the secretary. Today I would like to acknowledge the work of the Yackandandah Cemetery Trust to commemorate the service and sacrifice of World War I veterans and their families. On Saturday I will join them to officially open the memorial rotunda and the honour board. This will recognise and commemorate the sacrifice made by 109 servicemen and two nurses and their families from this very small community in north-east Victoria, just outside of Beechworth, and remember the 23 people lost in battle. To the chair, Ron Leary, the secretary, Mrs Gil Malone, and the treasurer, Mary Rinaudo, of the outstanding cemetery trust I say thank you for your commitment to this work. I also thank the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal, the Bendigo Bank, the Indigo Shire, the Stanley Fire Brigade, Stanley Inc, the Stanley Social Group, the Stanley hall committee and the members of the community who have worked to make this event possible. The experience of our veterans and their families is a really important part of the Stanley history, and the work of this local community will ensure that it will not be forgotten. Lest we forget.