Association holds dawn service at Pearl Beach

A crowd of locals and visitors gathered on the beachfront for the Pearl Beach Dawn Service on Anzac Day, April 25.

Members of the community were invited to make readings and presentations relating to their own service experiences and memories from family and friends.

Ms Victoria Crawford welcomed the everyone on behalf of the Pearl Beach Progress Association.

Aunty Robyn Reid from Mingaletta performed a Welcome to Country, with gentle guitar music making a beautiful and haunting start to the service, according to Association publicity officer Ms Lynne Lillico.

Ms Kerime Danis read in Turkish and English from Mustafa Kemal Ataturk: "Those heroes who shed their blood and lost their lives - You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore now rest in peace."

Mr Bob Keating told of the work that Central Coast Legacy undertakes and Ms Lily Frost recited The Ode.

Pearl Beach resident Mr John Steinbeck related the story of his forebears' service and their continued involvement with Pearl Beach, particularly the building of the Pearl Beach Memorial Hall.

The Memorial Hall and Pearl Beach War Memorial are owned by the Pearl Beach Progress Association which was established in 1929, and grew out of informal gatherings of residents to discuss local problems and community projects, said Ms Lillico.

"The Memorial Hall and the War Memorial were officially unveiled on September 16, 1950.

"At that time, Pearl Beach was a popular spot for ex-servicemen to live and holiday after the Second World War.

"There was sub-branch of the RSSAILA, now the Returned Servicemen's League or RSL, at that time who used the newly-completed hall for their monthly meetings."

At the end of the service, Mr Malcolm Davis thanked Mr Jackson Hood for his trumpet rendition of The Last Post and invited everyone to the Memorial Hall for morning tea with Anzac biscuits.

SOURCE:

Media release, 26 Apr 2024

Lynne Lillico, Pearl Beach Progress Association

College represented at Anzac Day services

Brisbane Water Secondary College representatives joined with former teacher Member for Gosford Ms Liesl Tesch to pay their tributes at local Anzac Day services.

Present were the school captains together with relieving college principal Ms Kerrie Thomas and relieving Woy Woy campus principal Mr Simon Madden.

Ms Tesch said: "The school captains spoke so beautifully at this morning's Ettalong Beach Anzac service.

"It is so wonderful to see our school leaders at our Anzac services today."

SOURCE:

Social media, 25 Apr 2024

Simon Madden, BWSC Woy Woy