BUSSELTON RSL Club has received $35,000 from the federal government to support a number of projects to commemorate 100 years of the Anzac spirit.
The funding will go towards three projects being undertaken by Busselton RSL Club including Honour Avenue which will see the installation of plaques around Victoria Square to honour the lives of the 180 servicemen listed on Busselton’s war memorial, Sharing Stories – an exhibition for memorabilia to be displayed at Busselton Cultural Precinct and Lest We Forget, an initiative for a playwright to be developed to showcase the characters of servicemen who went to World War I.
Federal member for Forrest Nola Marino visited Busselton last Friday to make the announcement. Mrs Marino said the funding would provide “appropriate recognition” for the sacrifices made during World War I.
“When you look at the South-West back then, Busselton was a relatively small community,” she said.
“When you look at the disproportionate number of men who went away [to war] it would have had a huge impact on such a small community.”
Mrs Marino said it was a terrific program to commemorate 100 years of the Anzac spirit. Busselton RSL Club sub-branch president Bob Wood said the funding was significant and would help in paying respect to fallen soldiers.
Mr Wood said projects were chosen through “soul searching”, however the branch identified a need to get young community members involved.
“I think there has been a view in the community over many years the RSL is all about a bunch of old blokes gathering and just having a few beers,” he said.
“And there is that, no question, but the RSL is far more than that. “The truth is that the RSL has many members who aren’t old blokes.
“In my sub-branch we have young men and women, who are veterans of some of the more recent conflicts.” Mr Wood said war was the most “awful” thing humans had ever invented.
“It was just disastrous - the fact that Gallipoli is called the birth of a nation - well what a price.”
RSL vice president and City of Busselton deputy mayor Grant Henley said the funding would help promote and maintain the history of the Anzac spirit and learning the lessons and history of war so they may never be repeated.
