Volunteers leave touching Aussie Day tribute to lost soldiers
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IPSWICH’S resting war veterans were not forgotten on Australia Day, with a dedicated group of residents going to great lengths to honour them for our national celebration.
Donna Cavanagh and her partner Oggy Smith rounded up some volunteers, including a group of Legacy Social Motorcycle Club members, to place Aussie Flags at the foot of hundreds of graves and columbariums.
Ms Cavanagh said she believed the effort was a first for Ipswich and possibly Queensland, and was likely to be extended to the region’s country cemeteries next year.
“Oggy was in the RAAF for 42 years and was recently posted in Sydney, where on Australia Day the RSL goes to the cemetery at 5am and puts on a full military service and places flags on all the defence personnel graves,” she said.
“When we came up here I realised they didn’t do that.”
After calling Ipswich City Council and War Graves Australia, Ms Cavanagh soon realised the idea would be suppoted here.
She gathered some volunteers and split 600 Aussie flags between Ipswich and Warrill Park. There were not quite enough flags to cater for all the former defence personnel, so next year’s effort will be even larger.
“We will order 2400 flags next year and we will aim to get out to some of the country areas,” she said.
