25 April 1941
School Commemoration
When the 10.45 am bell sounded at Creswick School yesterday morning children gathered at the saluting base with the flag at half-mast and the children repeated the pledge of allegiance. Norman Wright and Eileen Bowley laid a wreath at the foot of the flagpole and J. Grose and Enid Treloar placed a laurel wreath on the school's honour board. The two minutes silence was observed for Anzac's of the last war and this one, following which the flag was hoisted to the mast head.
Marching into school the children sang the National Anthem. The names of former scholars were then read from the school honour book and addresses embodying the spirit of Anzac were given by Mr. R. H. Greenhalgh and the Rev. P. W. Turner, who also told the children of the present conflict in which the new Anzac's were fighting for a victory which was essential if we desired to continue living a life of freedom in this glorious land of ours.
There were a number of parents and visitors present and all joined in singing "The Bugles of England", "Australia Will be There," and concluded with "The Recessional."
29 April 1941
More at Anzac Day Service
A notable feature of the Anzac Day commemoration at Creswick last Friday was that the attendance was larger that of late years.
More wreaths, too, were placed on the memorial than for many years past.
Old soldiers from the last war, comrades of the original Anzacs, led the march from Davies’ bridge as usual- and some of them were in the uniform of today’s defense forces!
They were joined by the school children and, marshalled by Mr. R.H. Greenhalgh, president of Creswick R.S.S.I.L.A. they made an impressive parade.
The Ballarat Orphanage band again played the march. The boys are a bit too small to play as they march but under Bandmaster Alf Rowell, they picked up the step with a lively tune as the parade came up Albert St.
Arriving at the monument the parade formed up on two sides and the Shire President, Cr. R.A. Bradshaw, spoke briefly.
"We meet", said Cr. Bradshaw, "to pay our solemn tribute to our brave soldiers of the last war. Now the wounded are returning home from this war, if must drive home to use more and more the wonderful part our men have played and are playing. I think it is but our duty to meet once a year in this fashion, and remember. There are days we celebrate freely but this must be one of solemn tribute".
The president then placed on the monument a wreath on behalf of the people of Creswick shire. Other wreaths were placed on it for the R.S.S.L.L.A., and the R.S.S.L.L.A. Women’s Auxiliary, the Forestry School, Lady Peacock, the Creswick, North Creswick and St. Augustine’s schools and countless private wreaths, especially those brought by children.
The whole gathering stood in commemorative silence and the Last Post was sounded by Lindsay Perkins, as a member of the boys’ band.
From there the whole assemblage moved to the town hall where Cr. Bradshaw was chairman for the meeting and the Revs. P.W. Turner and A.S. Nicholas, Mr. Mitchell and the Salvation Army leaders assisted. The band led the singing of hymns and the commemoration ode was read by Mr. Turner.
Here too, before the speaker, Mr. Bert Ludbrook commenced his address, a wreath was placed on the honour roll and later the assemblage united for a solemn moment of silent prayer.
Mr. Ludbrook in opening his address said he felt those present were already imbued with the spirit of Anzac or they would speak to them not as a teacher but as a pupil, hoping that they would find in his conception of Anzac of their own opinions.
"On the battlefields of Gallipoli, Palestine, France and Flanders, amid the horrors, the triumphs and the disasters, there came to every soldier that mysterious and uncanny feeling that he was in the presence of some great almighty power, before which he and everything around him became unreal and insignificant" said Mr. Ludbrook. " I believe it was there that the spirit of Anzac was planted in our hearts by the God of Battles giving us a better understanding of each other and inspiring us with the spirit of brotherhood and comradeship" "After the first great war a new generation sprang up amongst us whose great deeds today are a reflection of the men of yesterday. This generation is our only hope and in whose hands could we better leave the future than in those of the descendants of the men and the country who did so well in the past?" he asked. To the young men of today, I ask them to hold high the torch, that the shades of yesterday may be a great inspiration to them.
"In Australia, twelve thousand miles away it is difficult to appreciate the dangers I know, but I tell you ladies and gentlemen that if we lost this war the victors would divide the world between them and Australia would be one of the pickings," said Mr. Laudbrook.
He said he had but one attitude towards this self-preservation against something he could not affect by criticism , could not escape by indifference, could not regard without moral repulsion and could not subdue by simply voting, against it- that attitude was to meet force with force until he won or dropped.
"this war is on and we are wasting time if we argue how it was brought about and how it might have been prevented", he said"
Everyone knew what happened to Poland. Who could believe the same would not happen to us?
So everything must go to the one objective of winning the war. It is the duty of each to help and prepare them for the national service to which he is best fitted. If we are to win, we must have the intelligence and loyalty of all our people, the devotion of our women and the resolution and virility of our young men; let us be found wanting.
Someone has said "a nation without faith cannot keep its soul" and if that is so, then England has kept hers for there have been days within the last year when all that she has had is her faith! Unprepared because she trusted other nations, deserted by her friends, she had stood alone- and her people have stood shoulder to shoulder, not only her fighting forces but also every man, women and child in England. Irrespective of class and creed has stood together through sheer force of their character and the trust in what is true and honourable has upheld them.
"Think of what these brave people have endured" he continued. " Imagine the little children, the aged and infirm kept night after night without rest. They have set their teeth and endured."
"Nothing we can do for these our own people is too great; they are fighting for right against the power of evil and the vilest foe that man has ever known. These grand people of England have the same blood and the same spirit as our own Anzacs. They fought with superhuman courage with their backs to the wall as the second A.I.F. is doing again today".
"When we think of the sacrifice," he said, "we think of Dunkirk" and he quoted:
"So long as the English tongue survives the word Dunkirk will be spoken with reverence. Men died so that others could escape"
"It was not so simple a thing as courage which the Nazis had in plenty, it was not so simple a thing as discipline which can be hammered into men by a drill sergeant it was not the result of careful planning for there could have been little."
"It was the common man of the free countries rising in all his glories out of the mill office, factory, mine, farm, and ship applying to war the lessons learned when he went down the shaft to bring out trapped comrades, when he hurled his lifeboat through the surf. When he endured poverty and hardship for his children’s sake."
"This shining thing in the hearts of free men that Hitler cannot command attain or conquer. He has crushed it where he could from German hearts; it is the great tradition of democracy: it is the future: it is victory!"
So, continued Mr. Ludbrook, we will say with Winston Churchill. "Come, and the toil; each to our part, each to our station fill the armies rule the air, pour out the munitions, strangle the U-boats, sweep the mines, plow the land, build the ships……let us go forward together in all parts of the Empire….."
"Then," continued Mr. Ludbrook, "the sacrifices of the Anzacs would not have been in vain if we keep this world clean for democracy."
The ladies afterwards provided light refreshments for the boys of the band and visitors who had come from a distance.
School Commemoration
When the 10.45 am bell sounded at Creswick School yesterday morning children gathered at the saluting base with the flag at half-mast and the children repeated the pledge of allegiance. Norman Wright and Eileen Bowley laid a wreath at the foot of the flagpole and J. Grose and Enid Treloar placed a laurel wreath on the school's honour board. The two minutes silence was observed for Anzac's of the last war and this one, following which the flag was hoisted to the mast head.
Marching into school the children sang the National Anthem. The names of former scholars were then read from the school honour book and addresses embodying the spirit of Anzac were given by Mr. R. H. Greenhalgh and the Rev. P. W. Turner, who also told the children of the present conflict in which the new Anzac's were fighting for a victory which was essential if we desired to continue living a life of freedom in this glorious land of ours.
There were a number of parents and visitors present and all joined in singing "The Bugles of England", "Australia Will be There," and concluded with "The Recessional."
29 April 1941
More at Anzac Day Service
A notable feature of the Anzac Day commemoration at Creswick last Friday was that the attendance was larger that of late years.
More wreaths, too, were placed on the memorial than for many years past.
Old soldiers from the last war, comrades of the original Anzacs, led the march from Davies’ bridge as usual- and some of them were in the uniform of today’s defense forces!
They were joined by the school children and, marshalled by Mr. R.H. Greenhalgh, president of Creswick R.S.S.I.L.A. they made an impressive parade.
The Ballarat Orphanage band again played the march. The boys are a bit too small to play as they march but under Bandmaster Alf Rowell, they picked up the step with a lively tune as the parade came up Albert St.
Arriving at the monument the parade formed up on two sides and the Shire President, Cr. R.A. Bradshaw, spoke briefly.
"We meet", said Cr. Bradshaw, "to pay our solemn tribute to our brave soldiers of the last war. Now the wounded are returning home from this war, if must drive home to use more and more the wonderful part our men have played and are playing. I think it is but our duty to meet once a year in this fashion, and remember. There are days we celebrate freely but this must be one of solemn tribute".
The president then placed on the monument a wreath on behalf of the people of Creswick shire. Other wreaths were placed on it for the R.S.S.L.L.A., and the R.S.S.L.L.A. Women’s Auxiliary, the Forestry School, Lady Peacock, the Creswick, North Creswick and St. Augustine’s schools and countless private wreaths, especially those brought by children.
The whole gathering stood in commemorative silence and the Last Post was sounded by Lindsay Perkins, as a member of the boys’ band.
From there the whole assemblage moved to the town hall where Cr. Bradshaw was chairman for the meeting and the Revs. P.W. Turner and A.S. Nicholas, Mr. Mitchell and the Salvation Army leaders assisted. The band led the singing of hymns and the commemoration ode was read by Mr. Turner.
Here too, before the speaker, Mr. Bert Ludbrook commenced his address, a wreath was placed on the honour roll and later the assemblage united for a solemn moment of silent prayer.
Mr. Ludbrook in opening his address said he felt those present were already imbued with the spirit of Anzac or they would speak to them not as a teacher but as a pupil, hoping that they would find in his conception of Anzac of their own opinions.
"On the battlefields of Gallipoli, Palestine, France and Flanders, amid the horrors, the triumphs and the disasters, there came to every soldier that mysterious and uncanny feeling that he was in the presence of some great almighty power, before which he and everything around him became unreal and insignificant" said Mr. Ludbrook. " I believe it was there that the spirit of Anzac was planted in our hearts by the God of Battles giving us a better understanding of each other and inspiring us with the spirit of brotherhood and comradeship" "After the first great war a new generation sprang up amongst us whose great deeds today are a reflection of the men of yesterday. This generation is our only hope and in whose hands could we better leave the future than in those of the descendants of the men and the country who did so well in the past?" he asked. To the young men of today, I ask them to hold high the torch, that the shades of yesterday may be a great inspiration to them.
"In Australia, twelve thousand miles away it is difficult to appreciate the dangers I know, but I tell you ladies and gentlemen that if we lost this war the victors would divide the world between them and Australia would be one of the pickings," said Mr. Laudbrook.
He said he had but one attitude towards this self-preservation against something he could not affect by criticism , could not escape by indifference, could not regard without moral repulsion and could not subdue by simply voting, against it- that attitude was to meet force with force until he won or dropped.
"this war is on and we are wasting time if we argue how it was brought about and how it might have been prevented", he said"
Everyone knew what happened to Poland. Who could believe the same would not happen to us?
So everything must go to the one objective of winning the war. It is the duty of each to help and prepare them for the national service to which he is best fitted. If we are to win, we must have the intelligence and loyalty of all our people, the devotion of our women and the resolution and virility of our young men; let us be found wanting.
Someone has said "a nation without faith cannot keep its soul" and if that is so, then England has kept hers for there have been days within the last year when all that she has had is her faith! Unprepared because she trusted other nations, deserted by her friends, she had stood alone- and her people have stood shoulder to shoulder, not only her fighting forces but also every man, women and child in England. Irrespective of class and creed has stood together through sheer force of their character and the trust in what is true and honourable has upheld them.
"Think of what these brave people have endured" he continued. " Imagine the little children, the aged and infirm kept night after night without rest. They have set their teeth and endured."
"Nothing we can do for these our own people is too great; they are fighting for right against the power of evil and the vilest foe that man has ever known. These grand people of England have the same blood and the same spirit as our own Anzacs. They fought with superhuman courage with their backs to the wall as the second A.I.F. is doing again today".
"When we think of the sacrifice," he said, "we think of Dunkirk" and he quoted:
"So long as the English tongue survives the word Dunkirk will be spoken with reverence. Men died so that others could escape"
"It was not so simple a thing as courage which the Nazis had in plenty, it was not so simple a thing as discipline which can be hammered into men by a drill sergeant it was not the result of careful planning for there could have been little."
"It was the common man of the free countries rising in all his glories out of the mill office, factory, mine, farm, and ship applying to war the lessons learned when he went down the shaft to bring out trapped comrades, when he hurled his lifeboat through the surf. When he endured poverty and hardship for his children’s sake."
"This shining thing in the hearts of free men that Hitler cannot command attain or conquer. He has crushed it where he could from German hearts; it is the great tradition of democracy: it is the future: it is victory!"
So, continued Mr. Ludbrook, we will say with Winston Churchill. "Come, and the toil; each to our part, each to our station fill the armies rule the air, pour out the munitions, strangle the U-boats, sweep the mines, plow the land, build the ships……let us go forward together in all parts of the Empire….."
"Then," continued Mr. Ludbrook, "the sacrifices of the Anzacs would not have been in vain if we keep this world clean for democracy."
The ladies afterwards provided light refreshments for the boys of the band and visitors who had come from a distance.
1 May 1942
ANZAC DAY SERVICE AT CRESWICK
The celebration of Anzac Day at Creswick on Saturday was very little different from that of former years except that the band was missing and the ranks of the returned soldiers were thinned a little, partly by time, partly through some of them being again in the colors.
It began with the March of children returned soldiers and "dads" from the bridge through the town to the memorial.
At the memorial column the Shire President invited the assemblage to place wreaths on the column "To do honour to those who fell at Anzac."
Wreaths were laid on behalf of the Shire of Creswick, the R.S.S. & A.L.L.A., Women’s Auxiliary, the school committees and mothers clubs, the school Forestry, the Creswick Patriotic Girls Younger Set and individuals.
At the town hall, the same type of service was adopted as previously. The Rev. P.W. Turner opened with the Lord’s Prayer and a wreath of the remembrance was placed on the honour roll.
"We hold this service each year in the memory of those who did not come back," said the Shire President, Cr Ryall, in his opening remarks. "Unfortunately war has called on us to supply another Anzac brigade but we hope that next year peace might have returned."
"We do not want to make the Anzac ceremony one of show but rather of remembrance. People have an easy habit of forgetting and it is not always good that we should do so for we forget the lessons so dearly bought," said Cr Ryall. "Let us continue to remember and revere the traditions of Anzac Day.
Mr H.W. Mitchell then read the solemn recital from "The Ode to the Fallen"-
"….They went with song into battle…..
……To the end, to the end, they remain."
The large crowd became silent then as, at the request of the chairman, all bowed in prayer, each according to his own needs.
"I would remind you that this is the 27th anniversary of the original Anzac. In those intervening years we have heard a lot about the deeds of those men and it is up to us to copy them now," said the Rev. A.S. Nicholas, the principal speaker.
Referring to a biblical quotation of Isaiah, "I have labored in vain. I have spent my strength for nought," Mr Nicholas went on to point out that in those days of long ago. The story related that Isaiah found out that what he thought had been labor in vain had in the end served its purpose.
He went on to say that the men of Anzac were the personification of Australia at its best.
"Yet," he said "it may be this very week or this very day when the veterans of that campaign are gathered together, many of those veterans will be tempted to exclaim "I have labored in vain because we are gripped in another war."
"He must inevitably attempt to weigh the results of those terrible days on Gallipoli."
Mr. Nicholas said that overlooking those scenes had been erected a memorial. A visitor seeing it might say "This surely, must mark a great victory." He could be told it marked the failure of an army and a navy to conquer forces yet we can see it as one of the greatest achievements in our history. Of those who died there can it not be truly said "They go marching down the years and they are with us today," for this is not just a sacred memory but a heartbeat in the veins of the people.
If Anzac is to be anything but lip service, if it means anything at all, it means we must emulate those men of Anzac, said Mr Nicholas. It meant emulation of their spirit of service; it meant not throwing up a job because one appeared to have failed but instead carrying it on to success.
The ANZACs, too, he said, had passed on to us a torch of liberty; ours it is to take up that torch and take it to Japan. "Either the torch or be tortured," he said.
The service, which had included well known hymns, concluded with the Last Post, followed by the Reveille, the trumpeter being Mr. W. J. Fargher.
Miss N. Thomson was pianiste for the ceremony in the hall
ANZAC DAY SERVICE AT CRESWICK
The celebration of Anzac Day at Creswick on Saturday was very little different from that of former years except that the band was missing and the ranks of the returned soldiers were thinned a little, partly by time, partly through some of them being again in the colors.
It began with the March of children returned soldiers and "dads" from the bridge through the town to the memorial.
At the memorial column the Shire President invited the assemblage to place wreaths on the column "To do honour to those who fell at Anzac."
Wreaths were laid on behalf of the Shire of Creswick, the R.S.S. & A.L.L.A., Women’s Auxiliary, the school committees and mothers clubs, the school Forestry, the Creswick Patriotic Girls Younger Set and individuals.
At the town hall, the same type of service was adopted as previously. The Rev. P.W. Turner opened with the Lord’s Prayer and a wreath of the remembrance was placed on the honour roll.
"We hold this service each year in the memory of those who did not come back," said the Shire President, Cr Ryall, in his opening remarks. "Unfortunately war has called on us to supply another Anzac brigade but we hope that next year peace might have returned."
"We do not want to make the Anzac ceremony one of show but rather of remembrance. People have an easy habit of forgetting and it is not always good that we should do so for we forget the lessons so dearly bought," said Cr Ryall. "Let us continue to remember and revere the traditions of Anzac Day.
Mr H.W. Mitchell then read the solemn recital from "The Ode to the Fallen"-
"….They went with song into battle…..
……To the end, to the end, they remain."
The large crowd became silent then as, at the request of the chairman, all bowed in prayer, each according to his own needs.
"I would remind you that this is the 27th anniversary of the original Anzac. In those intervening years we have heard a lot about the deeds of those men and it is up to us to copy them now," said the Rev. A.S. Nicholas, the principal speaker.
Referring to a biblical quotation of Isaiah, "I have labored in vain. I have spent my strength for nought," Mr Nicholas went on to point out that in those days of long ago. The story related that Isaiah found out that what he thought had been labor in vain had in the end served its purpose.
He went on to say that the men of Anzac were the personification of Australia at its best.
"Yet," he said "it may be this very week or this very day when the veterans of that campaign are gathered together, many of those veterans will be tempted to exclaim "I have labored in vain because we are gripped in another war."
"He must inevitably attempt to weigh the results of those terrible days on Gallipoli."
Mr. Nicholas said that overlooking those scenes had been erected a memorial. A visitor seeing it might say "This surely, must mark a great victory." He could be told it marked the failure of an army and a navy to conquer forces yet we can see it as one of the greatest achievements in our history. Of those who died there can it not be truly said "They go marching down the years and they are with us today," for this is not just a sacred memory but a heartbeat in the veins of the people.
If Anzac is to be anything but lip service, if it means anything at all, it means we must emulate those men of Anzac, said Mr Nicholas. It meant emulation of their spirit of service; it meant not throwing up a job because one appeared to have failed but instead carrying it on to success.
The ANZACs, too, he said, had passed on to us a torch of liberty; ours it is to take up that torch and take it to Japan. "Either the torch or be tortured," he said.
The service, which had included well known hymns, concluded with the Last Post, followed by the Reveille, the trumpeter being Mr. W. J. Fargher.
Miss N. Thomson was pianiste for the ceremony in the hall
1943
No information available
No information available
28 April 1944
ANZAC SERVICES AT THE SCHOOLS
At Creswick School
Creswick State school commemorated Anzac Day at the school on Monday. After saluting the flag wreaths were placed on the Honour Board by Dorothy Hobbill, Dorothy Bell, and Doris Jayne. The speakers wee Mr. W. H. Mitchell, Mr. G. Hobbill (President RSL) and Mr. R. H. Greenhalgh. Hymns were sung by the scholars during the afternoon, with "Land of Hope and Glory" sung by the 8th grade girls as a finale.
North Creswick School
Anzac Day was solemnly commemorated at the North Creswick school on Monday afternoon when the Rev. F. H. Symonds gave the pupils some interesting thoughts for the occasion and placed a wreath (from the Returned Soldiers’ branch) on the honour board.
The Service from the Shrine of Remembrance, described by Professor Browne, was broadcast. Pupils and staff joined in the singing , listened with interest to Mr Cush (Legacy Club) on the honour boards (Hollinwood board is in North Creswick’s care)
ANZAC SERVICES AT THE SCHOOLS
At Creswick School
Creswick State school commemorated Anzac Day at the school on Monday. After saluting the flag wreaths were placed on the Honour Board by Dorothy Hobbill, Dorothy Bell, and Doris Jayne. The speakers wee Mr. W. H. Mitchell, Mr. G. Hobbill (President RSL) and Mr. R. H. Greenhalgh. Hymns were sung by the scholars during the afternoon, with "Land of Hope and Glory" sung by the 8th grade girls as a finale.
North Creswick School
Anzac Day was solemnly commemorated at the North Creswick school on Monday afternoon when the Rev. F. H. Symonds gave the pupils some interesting thoughts for the occasion and placed a wreath (from the Returned Soldiers’ branch) on the honour board.
The Service from the Shrine of Remembrance, described by Professor Browne, was broadcast. Pupils and staff joined in the singing , listened with interest to Mr Cush (Legacy Club) on the honour boards (Hollinwood board is in North Creswick’s care)
1945
No information available
No information available