Media Releases

The Nationals Member for Lowan and Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Hugh Delahunty in Parliament today spoke about the importance of Anzac Day next week.

“I encourage members of the community to buy a badge and attend local Anzac Day commemorations to pay homage to our dedicated service men and women and those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our great country, Australia,” Mr Delahunty said.

Many Anzac Day services will be held throughout the Lowan electorate and details are published in local media outlets.

Mr Delahunty also spoke about attending a number of activities in the Lowan electorate.

“I attended the recent launch of the challenge by BreastScreen Victoria to women in the Southern Grampians area to take care of their health.  This free program is specifically designed to target women 50 to 69 years as this is the age group most at risk of developing breast cancer,” he said.

“I am also encouraging women from across the Southern Grampians Shire and south west Victoria to take the opportunity to be screened,” Mr Delahunty said.

“In my role as Minister for Sport and Recreation I attended the iconic Stawell Easter Gift and my congratulations go to Matthew Wiltshire from Ballarat who won this year’s Australia Post Stawell Gift.  Matthew was running off eight meters and won by a 10th of a second to record the time of 12.22 seconds.  I also congratulate Melissa Breen on winning the women’s gift with a time of 13.95 seconds,” Mr Delahunty said.

“I congratulate to the members of the Stawell Athletic Club in again providing a wonderful athletics carnival which provided an economic boost to Stawell and western Victoria.”

“Last Friday I was honoured to represent the Deputy Premier and Minister for Police and Emergency Services at the opening of the new Balmoral Police Station,” Mr Delahunty said.

A large crowd was present to celebrate the opening of the new police station including representatives from the Southern Grampians Shire, the Balmoral community and Victoria Police.

“Law and order is a top priority in the Lowan electorate and I congratulate Victoria Police and particularly Leading Senior Constable Peter Mailes in their dedication to the safety of the Balmoral and district community,” he said.

The Nationals member for Lowan and Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Hugh
Delahunty announced today the Nhill war memorial would receive funding from
the latest round of the Restoring Community War Memorial Grants program.
“Our War Memorials play a very important role in ensuring we remember the
stories of our local service men and women, and these grants provide practical
support for communities to maintain their memorials in the best possible
condition,” Mr Delahunty said.
The Hindmarsh Shire Council has received $1,800 for the Nhill WWII RAAF
Monument to correct the wording on the monument.
Mr Delahunty said the Victorian Government was committed to passing Victoria’s
war history to subsequent generations.
“Western Victorians are rightly proud of the bravery and sacrifice of our veterans
and these grants will help keep their memories and stories alive through
memorials around our state,” Mr Delahunty said.
“War memorials, honour boards and avenues of honour play an important part in
our local communities and investing in the restoration of these memorials we
can keep their memorials in the best condition, ensuring local servicemen and
women and their stories of courage and mateship are never forgotten,” Mr
Delahunty said.
“We will continue to work with local governments, key ex-servicemen
organisations and community groups to ensure the sacrifice of our veterans is
never forgotten, especially in the lead up to the Centenary of ANZAC
commemorations,” Mr Delahunty said.

The Nationals member for Lowan and Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Hugh Delahunty announced today Dunkeld and Digby war memorials would receive funding from the latest round of the Restoring Community War Memorial Grants program.

“Our War Memorials play a very important role in ensuring we remember the stories of our local service men and women, and these grants provide practical support for communities to maintain their memorials in the best possible condition,” Mr Delahunty said.

The Dunkeld RSL sub-branch received $7,720 for the Dunkeld Soldiers’ Memorial Restoration project which is for cleaning and sealing the Carrara marble statue and freestone on the Dunkeld Soldier’s Memorial.

The Lions Club of Merino-Digby Inc. has received $966 to construct wheelchair access to the war memorial.

Mr Delahunty said the Victorian Government was committed to passing Victoria’s war history to subsequent generations.
“Western Victorians are rightly proud of the bravery and sacrifice of our veterans and these grants will help keep their memories and stories alive through memorials around our state,” Mr Delahunty said.

“War memorials, honour boards and avenues of honour play an important part in our local communities and investing in the restoration of these memorials we
can keep their memorials in the best condition, ensuring local servicemen and women and their stories of courage and mateship are never forgotten,” Mr Delahunty said.

“We will continue to work with local governments, key ex-servicemen organisations and community groups to ensure the sacrifice of our veterans is never forgotten, especially in the lead up to the Centenary of ANZAC commemorations,” Mr Delahunty said.

The Nationals member for Lowan and Minister for Veteran Affairs Hugh Delahunty today reminded year 9 and 10 western Victorian school students that the closing date to place their entry for this year’s Premier’s Spirit of ANZAC Prize was just weeks away.

“The Premier’s Spirit of ANZAC Prize offers 10 high school students from across Victoria a free study tour of the major battlefield sites where Australians had served, focused on Gallipoli or the Western Front,” Mr Delahunty said.

“This year the tour will travel to Gallipoli and then onto Malaysia and Singapore, in the light of 2012 being the 70th anniversary of the Fall of Singapore.

“For the first time, 17 regional finalists will also be treated to a free Canberra study tour featuring Parliament House, the National Film and Sound Archive, the National Portrait Gallery and the Australian War Memorial. This is in addition to the 10 students who will be selected to travel overseas.

“This year’s entries must address the topic, “What does the ‘spirit of ANZAC’ mean to you? Are the values displayed by the ANZACS at Gallipoli and the Western Front still relevant today?”

“Students can enter research essays, artworks, musical compositions or audio, video or web-based presentations based on these topics.

“For students working on entries this is a last reminder that they must be submitted by Friday 21 October 2011,” Mr Delahunty said.

Mr Delahunty said the Prize was established to inspire young Victorians to explore how the values embodied by our ANZACs – courage, determination, self-reliance and sacrifice – are still relevant to us today.

“By exploring the spirit displayed by the ANZACs, students gain a greater understanding of the courage, mateship and sacrifice that motivated the citizen soldiers in World War I,” Mr Delahunty said.

“Being one of the 10 students to receive the Premier’s Spirit of ANZAC Prize and to go on the study tour is a once in a lifetime experience.

“Most importantly the Prize is an important way of ensuring future generations of young Australians never forget the sacrifices that helped define us as a nation.”

The Nationals Member for Lowan and Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Hugh Delahunty is encouraging western Victorian secondary school students to submit entries to Premier’s Spirit of ANZAC Prize.

“Western Victorian secondary school students in Years 9 and 10 are invited to submit entries for the annual Premier’s Spirit of ANZAC Prize for 2011-12 which commemorates the service and sacrifice of the ANZACs,” Mr Delahunty said.

The Premier’s Spirit of ANZAC Prize offers ten students from across Victoria an all expenses paid study tour of the major battlefield sites where Australians had served, focused on Gallipoli and the Western Front.

Mr Delahunty said the Spirit of ANZAC Prize was established to inspire young Victorians to explore how the values embodied by our ANZACs – courage, determination, self-reliance and sacrifice.

“I have had the privilege of visiting the Gallipoli Peninsula for the Anzac Day dawn service.  I found this to be a profoundly moving experience especially seeing the number of young people who also made the pilgrimage and I realised that the spirit in which the ANZACS went to war and the values of freedom and mateship are as strong today as they were then.

”As I stood as amongst the crowd at 2am; I felt proud to be an Australian.  The Gallipoli Peninsula represents a momentous piece of shared history for the people of Australia, New Zealand and Turkey” Mr Delahunty said.

“The Prize is an important way of ensuring this generation of young Australians never forgets the sacrifices that helped define us as a nation and as a people.”

Mr Delahunty said that by exploring the spirit displayed by the ANZACs, students gained a greater understanding of the courage, mateship and sacrifice that motivated the citizen soldiers in World War I.

“The annual Spirit of ANZAC prize encourages young people to learn more about our wartime history, the enormous price paid by small communities across the country and the enduring values of the ANZAC tradition,” Mr Delahunty said.

“Being one of the 10 students to receive the Premier’s Spirit of ANZAC Prize and to go on the study tour is a once in a lifetime experience.”

Applications for the Premier’s Spirit of ANZAC Prize 2011-12 can be downloaded from the Spirit of ANZAC website at www.veterans.vic.gov.au Students must submit their entries by Friday 21 October 2011. Students can enter research essays, artworks, musical compositions or audio, video or web-based presentations.

The Servicemen and Women’s Memorial at Woodhouse-Nereeb is one of 50 communities to share in more than $200,000 of Victorian Government Restoring Community War Memorial Grants, announced today in Dunkeld by the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Hugh Delahunty.

The Nationals Member for Lowan and Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Hugh Delahunty the Servicemen and Women’s Memorial would receive $3,938.00 as part of the latest funding from the Restoring Community War Memorial Grants program.

Mr Delahunty is pleased to announce that the Branxholme Plaque Restoration WW1 and WW2 project and the Digby WW2 Photographs projects also received $4,000 and $1,590 respectively.

 “Places like Servicemen and Women’s Memorial play an important role in remembering the stories of our local service personnel,” Mr Delahunty said.

 The Servicemen and Women’s Memorial project will involve work including cleaning and polishing the plaques and repair broken brickwork surrounding the memorial to ensure a smooth and safe surface for visitors and improve the appearance of the memorial.

Minister Delahunty said the Victorian Government is committed to passing Victoria’s war history to subsequent generations.

“Victorians are rightly proud of the bravery and sacrifice of our veterans and these grants will help keep their memories and stories alive through memorials around our state,” Mr Delahunty said.

“Local war memorials and avenues of honour are important in teaching new generations about the role veterans have played in the history of Victoria and these grants are about practical support to keep them in the best condition,” he said.

Restoring Community War Memorial Grants are available to councils, RSL clubs and community groups and facilities.

A full list of grants and more information about applying is available at http://www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/veterans/veterans-heritage/war-memorials/restoring-community-war-memorials

The Nationals member for Lowan and Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Hugh Delahunty this week in Parliament encouraged students from across the Lowan electorate to participate in the Spirit of ANZAC prize.

“The prize gives students the opportunity to travel overseas on a study tour to sites sacred to the memory of men and women who served at Gallipoli and on the Western Front in World War I,” Mr Delahunty said.

“The Premier’s Spirit of ANZAC Prize brings history to life for students and I was honoured to be part of the presentation on Friday 4 March along with Premier Ted Baillieu who announced the names of the 10 students at a reception at the Shrine of Remembrance.”

Mr Delahunty said that the students will spend their first term school holidays visiting key sites of remembrance at Gallipoli and on the Western Front.

“The Premier’s Spirit of ANZAC prize, since 2004, has given Victorian students in Years 9 and 10, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to walk in the footsteps of our veterans, to see where they fought and where they fell.

“I firmly believe that touring the places where our World War I veterans fought gives students a more personal understanding of our war history, and, from what I have heard from other recipients of this award, I know this is an experience they will certainly treasure for many years to come.

Mr Delahunty said that past winners from the Lowan electorate of the Spirit of ANZAC included Sophie Eltringham, Brendan Champness and Gervaise Christi.

“One of the recipients for 2011 is Laura Whitney of Euroa, who also has family ties in western Victoria, submitted a poem comparing the courage needed to fight at Gallipoli with the resilience and sacrifice demonstrated by the people of Euroa during the recent floods that inundated the area.

“I have no doubt that visiting these parts of the world will bring our war history to life and give students a chance to reflect on the sacrifices made by men and women whose service and spirit have helped define us as a nation and I encourage all Year 9 and 10 students from the Lowan electorate to take the opportunity later this year to participate in the Spirit of ANZAC awards,” Mr Delahunty said.

The Nationals Member for Lowan and Shadow Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Hugh Delahunty advises all ex-service organisations, councils and community organisations who have an interest in the maintenance of their local war memorials that  to apply for a grant to assist in any restoration work that may be required.

“The Restoring Community War Memorials Grants Program provides funding of up to $10,000 to assist ex-service organisations, local councils, schools and community groups to upgrade and enhance local commemorative sites and honour rolls,” Mr Delahunty said.

“Practically every community has a war memorial commemorating the courage, spirit and sacrifice of local servicemen and women, however many of these memorials have suffered from the elements and this grants program is designed to assist communities to reinstate them to their original condition,” he said.

Mr Delahunty said examples of the type of projects that will be considered for funding include repairs to broken statues that form part of a memorial; repairs to barriers and fences that surround and protect a memorial; re-lettering of honour rolls and restoration of commemorative plaques that form an integral part of an Avenue of Honour.

“During 2009 the Hamilton RSL Sub branch received $4,100 to restore the Hamilton Cenotaph statue of “Peace” by cleaning and re-lettering the names on the honour roll,” Mr Delahunty said.

“Preserving this part of our history, which is so relevant to many of our towns, is really important for current and future generations and I encourage groups to consider making an application,” Mr Delahunty said.

Applications for the grant close on 31^st January, 2011 and forms can be accessed by phoning 1300 366 356 or by going to the grants website:

www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/veterans/veterans-heritage/war-memorials

The Nationals Member for Lowan and Shadow Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Hugh Delahunty is urging year nine and year 10 students from western Victoria to enter the Premier’s Spirit of ANZAC Prize 2010-11 schools competition.

“Through the schools competition 10 students representing each of the education regions in Victoria will have the opportunity to participate in a two week study tour to sites of enduring military and historical significance, centred on Gallipoli in 2011,” Mr Delahunty said.

“The Premier’s Spirit of ANZAC Prize is intended to inspire young people to explore the ethos the ANZACs displayed in Gallipoli and the Western Front and reflect upon how those values apply in Victorian communities today.

“Having just returned from the dedication of the Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery I am well aware of the importance of not only preserving our war history but also gaining an understanding of what our diggers endured.” 

“A Victorian Government delegation, of which I was a part along with the Deputy Premier and Major General David McLachlan, Victorian RSL State President, visited Polygon Wood, Menin Gate, Pozieres, Villers-Bretonneux, VC Corner, Peronne cemeteries and memorials including the Cobbers statue based on Sergeant Simon Frazer of Byaduk, western Victoria,” Mr Delahunty said.

“This was a memorable experience for me and the Premier’s Spirit of ANZAC Prize provides an excellent opportunity for year nine and ten students to explore the ANZAC spirit and to relate it to their lives, with the chance of being rewarded with an amazing study tour.”

Year nine students who submitted an entry in 2009 but who were not selected to represent their region on the study tour, have the opportunity to submit a new entry if they are enrolled in year 10.

Previous entries have examined the way in which the ANZAC spirit is exhibited through local communities in times of hardship such as drought and bushfires.

All competition entries will be assessed by regional panels before 27 state finalists are interviewed by a central panel in December 2010 to select 10 students who will participate in the study tour.

Entry forms are available to download online from www.veterans.vic.gov.au or by emailing veterans@dpcd.vic.gov.au

The Battle of Fromelles during World War One was a defining moment in Australia’s war history.

On July 19 I was privileged to attend the dedication of the Pheasant Wood cemetery at Fromelles with Victoria’s Deputy Premier Rob Hulls and RSL President Major General David McLachlan.

On that day in 1916, two divisions of Australian and British infantry attacked a 3.6 kilometre section of the German front line. What ensued has since been described by the Australian War Commission as the worst 24 hours in our nation’s history.

After a night of fighting, 5,533 of our soldiers were reported killed, wounded or missing.

With the support of the diggers’ family members and Lambis Englezos, who has campaigned tirelessly for the remembrance of Fromelles’ missing diggers, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission has now laid more than 200 Australians to rest.

Of those, 94 have been traced and named, mostly from Victoria.

During the dedication ceremony, letters from family members of many of the diggers were read, but a personal highlight was the emotional and dignified burial of the last unnamed soldier.

The delegation also visited Polygon Wood, Menin Gate, Pozières, Villers-Bretonneux, VC Corner and Pèronne cemeteries, and memorials including the Cobbers’ Statue which was based on Sergeant Simon Frazer of Byaduk in western Victoria.

The Battle of Fromelles, after many years in the back pages of our history books, has finally been given the recognition it deserves.

In the years to come I hope many make the pilgrimage to remember the Australian and British soldiers buried there. These men paid the ultimate sacrifice on the Western Front. They will not be forgotten.

Hugh Delahunty Shadow Minister for Veterans’ Affairs