Brian McCafferty’s report at the General Meeting:
On 12 October, Brian McCafferty and his wife
attended the dedication ceremony for the Lone Pine Tree in the grounds of
Allison Homestead.
Brian reported that it was rather moving and was well organised. About 120 to
150 were in attendance including the Mayor, Local Member of Parliament,
local business leaders, Wyong RSL Sub-Branch members, some school
principals and their respective school captains. A noted item was that an
identical ceremony was being held on the same day on the Beach at
Gallopoli. That ceremony was being conducted by the Wyong Parish Priest
with about 30 people from Wyong and surrounds who accompanied the
Parish Priest to Gallopoli.
Member, Ruth Logan also attended – her comments follow …
On 12 October I attended, on behalf of Brisbane Water Historical
Society, a Service of Dedication at the Lone Pine War Memorial Garden
at Alison Homestead, Wyong.
It was a very moving ceremony conducted by Mr. Phillip Moreley,
President of Wyong District Museum & Historical Society and attended
by the Mayor of Wyong, Mr. Doug Eaton, the State Member of Wyong,
Mr. David Harris and President of Wyong RSL Sub Branch, Mr. Lawrence
Shaw. Rev. Father Michael Kelly OAM, Blessed the Memorial Garden and led
the service.
On this day, Rev. Fr. Bill Stevens, Parish Priest of The Entrance, along with
over 30 people on pilgrimage, were at Gallipoli to place soil, rosemary, poppy,
and a small piece of pine from the garden in Wyong, at a suitable location.
He in turn will bring back a small memento from Gallipoli to be placed in the
Memorial Garden.
Several Pine Trees were originally grown from seeds taken from a Pine Tree
cone carried back by Sgt. Keith McDowell of the 24th Battalion at the end of
the 1914/1918 war and planted in Inverell, NSW in 1928.
From this source there were several Pines grown there and another in
Canberra. The Wyong Pine Tree is from this source.
At the conclusion of the Blessing of The Memorial Garden, the Last
Post was played by a member of the Brisbane Water Brass Band who
also played Revelle.
The gardens and grounds are a credit to the work of Roman Paul, who
designed the Memorial Garden, planted with poppies, rosemary and other
flowers.
