Lenah Valley RSL
On Remembrance Day 2024, we gathered to acknowledge, honour and remember those who have served our country in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations.
This year marks 110 years since the start of the First World War, in what was Australia’s costliest conflict. After four years of continuous fighting, the guns of the Western Front fell silent at 11am on 11 November 1918.
Work commenced on the Haldane Reserve, Veterans reflection area and memorial on Wednesday 21 August 2024.
Club President Andrew McShane, Club Patron Don Jeffrey, and the committee held a presentation and recognition celebration at the Club on Tuesday 20th August to celebrate the presentation of a number of important milestones and awards.
Its fair to say that we were a little surprised by the increased turnouts for both the Dawn Service and the Main Service in 2024. In fact estimates were made more difficult as there were a number of people who viewed both services from John Turnbull Park.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak today.
Why do we commemorate Anzac Day? This question was posed recently by my daughter’s American partner. They live in New York City. In the US, they have two commemorative days: Veterans Day on the 11th of November and Memorial Day, held on the last Monday in May. The latter honours military personnel who have died in the service of their country.
The Tasmanian RSL Golf Challenge which is run by the Lenah Valley RSL and is the major fundraising event for the LVRSL welfare fund, was held on Sunday 3 March 2024.
The Challenge, first held in 2011, occurs in March each year at the Claremont Golf Club and is an 18 hole Ambrose event.
A working bee organised by Mark Jones, Graeme Hawes and Peter Dane took place in and around the carpark. on Sunday 21 st January 2024. The main purpose was to clean up the dead and dying bushes around the Cenotaph lawns.
19 volunteers turned up many of whom not only supplied their own gear but also provided their ute and/or trailer to ensure the green waste was taken to the tip. Graeme Hawes has since commenced replanting some schrubs supplied by Westland Nurseries which should ensure that the area is in good condition for Anzac Day.
A number of LVRSL former members were prisoners of war. In the main, these men were members of the 2/40 Australian Infantry Battalion which was made up of mainly of Tasmanian Servicemen with some members also from Victoria.
A list of LVRSL past members, who were POW’s and/or members of the 2/40 Battalion follows below (although we acknowledge that the list is likely incomplete):