By KATH GANNAWAY
WARBURTON RSL will unveil the Warburton Gallipoli Centenary Memorial Wall today (Tuesday, 21 April).
The project is spectacular, and in connecting the community with those it serves to honour, it is already a success.
It has truly been a community project, involving people of all ages from local school children to the elders of the Wesley Melba Club – and many in between.
RSL member Carol Reynolds has co-ordinated the project and worked with local mosaic artist Sioux Dollman on the design and implementation.
The design features a red Flanders poppy representing each of the local men who died in WWI, the words ‘Lest We Forget’ and has a garden planted with Gallipoli Rosemary.
Ms Reynolds said 151 men from Warburton, Millgrove and Wesburn communities enlisted.
“Our research has shown that 47 of these men were killed in action, died of wounds or illness and never returned to the place they called home.
“The 47 poppies are as individual as the men they represent, all in uniform, but each having different characteristics in size, shape and shade.”
RSL president Jamie Thomas said they had been overwhelmed with the community support.
“Every time we had a workshop, we would get people coming down to be part of it,” he said.
“Some people have been just driving past, stopped to ask about it and stayed on to contribute to the mosaic,” he said.
RSL State vice-president, George Logan, will officially launch the memorial, located at the RSL hall, at 11am.
