By Tyler Wright
Thousands of members in the Monbulk community and surrounding suburbs gathered yesterday to commemorate Anzac Day on the town’s main street.
Families, RSL members and local groups marched and joined together to remember the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps who fought alongside each other on the sand of Gallipoli in World War I, and veterans who have served Australia in countries such as East Timor and Iraq ever since.
For the first time, Mount Evelyn, Lilydale and Monbulk service leagues collaborated to raise funds for a Year 11 Yarra Ranges student to travel the Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea and immerse themselves in the experiences of Australia’s armed forces.
A trip the RSL’s have attempted to complete since 2020, but has been pushed back due to Covid-19 border closures.
The recipient, Cameron Lilagan from Cire Community School in Mt Evelyn, said she applied for the scholarship as an opportunity to ground herself and get a broader perspective of the world around her, and was “gobsmacked” when she learned she received the award.
“I really wanted to prove to myself that I could put myself in any environment and still overcome and succeed and learn and make myself a better person from it,” she said.
The Cowey–Selman Kokoda Award, named after two Yarra Ranges war veterans Jim Cowey and Geoff Selman, will allow Cameron to walk the Kokoda Trail and witness it’s historical sights this year, made possible local plant sales supported by local nurseries and organisations such as the Lilydale Marketplace and Passchendaele Cafe.
“We target Year 11, because that’s the year before students really do the[ir] VCE,” Monbulk RSL President Bill Ford said.
“We’re of firm belief that our Australian history and military history should be taught in schools, right from grade one through – you start small and [more] as they get older and older.
“So by doing this award, students go and research it. They write a 600 word essay on the Kokoda and it’s judged by an external military panel.”
The Monbulk RSL also introduced a mural for the club’s patron, Mrs Jeannie Gunn, who virtually adopted all the men who enlisted to serve in the war from the Monbulk District, alongside settlers and school children during the First World War.
“She was a very big advocate for veterans welfare,” Mr Ford said.
“She even had the Prime Minister of Australia, Billy Hughes, in Monbulk to meet the veterans…that’s the pull she had.”
In memory of the woman who “wouldn’t take no for an answer” now sits her OBE medal and a library she constructed for World War One veterans.
“She was trying to help a veteran, and she tried to get an Atlas in Monbulk to look at where he’d been and couldn’t source an Atlas in the town of Monbulk. And she thought that was disgraceful, no Atlas even in the school,” Mr Ford said.
So she set a mission then to get books and atlas’ and she set up a huge library.”
The club president said Jeannie laid the foundation for the RSL to be built in 1950 and she will soon be permanently remembered at the club.
“We’re eventually going to do three 2.4 by 2.4 panels, three of them in murals along our side wall at the RSL car park so everyone that comes into the car park will see them.”
Wreaths were laid down by Monbulk CFA, Monbulk Rotary, Monbulk Primary School and Kallista Scouts at the Monbulk RSL’s morning service, while the morning tea served in the club hall was hosted by the Monbulk Country Women’s Association.
Both the New Zealand and Australian national anthems were played to signify the unity between countries, and thanks were given to the horn player who gave a rendition of the Last Post.
Attendees were invited to place poppies alongside the wreaths.
Bill Ford commemorated the day from 4:00am in the morning until 8:00pm at night, with both dawn and morning services as well as gatherings running the whole day.
