Boorowa Remembers

Boorowa’s Remembrance Day ceremony was organised by the Boorowa RSL Sub-Branch, and was held at the Boorowa War Memorial.

The service was professionally led by Michael Taylor, with the guest speaker being Dean Franklin.

Mr Franklin spoke poignantly about the “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier”, explaining that in November 1993 the remains of an Australian soldier who died in the First World War were exhumed from a military cemetery in France.

He was one of the 45,000 Australians killed in the War to have no known grave, and was originally buried beneath a headstone bearing the words ‘An Australian soldier of the Great War, known unto God’.

His remains were placed in a simple Tasmanian blackwood coffin and were returned to Australia, spending three days lying in state at Old Parliament House in Canberra, before being finally interred in the Hall of Memory at the Australian War Memorial on the 11th of November 1993, the 75th anniversary of the Armistice which ended fighting on the Western front.

Following Mr Franklin’s speech, the blessing and benediction were delivered by Bronwyn Fickel, Lay Preacher, Boorowa Uniting Church, and readings were given by representatives from St Joseph’s School and Boorowa Central School.

Wreaths were laid by veteran, Arthur Hoswell, his granddaughter and Secretary of Boorowa RSL Sub-Branch, Belinda Hewitt, Councillor John Piper, and the children of the Bee Centre.

• Topics:

• Remembrance Day
• History