Remembrance Day was first observed in 1919 throughout the British Commonwealth.
November 11, 1918, at 11am - on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month
Originally called Armistice Day it commemorated the armistice agreement signed at Le Francport near Compiegne that ended World War I between the Allies and Germany.
'Lest we forget' became common phrase across Australia and New Zealand after World War I.
Meaning 'it should not be forgotten', from Rudyard Kipling's stirring poem 'Recessional' (1897).
Now, Remembrance Day commemorates service and the loss of Australian lives from all wars and conflicts.
'Lest we forget' became common phrase after World War I.
Graham Wilson OAM, Council Heritage Adviser has been searching out and recording all types of the many War Memorials and Honour rolls in our district and further afield. The Land of the Beardies Museum incorporates the War Memorial Children's Ward in the former hospital and has a collection of honour boards in the hallway leading to the Services Memorial Room.
When it was unveiled in July 2015, RSL president Gordon Taylor described the Anzac Memorial Walk in the park as "a living memorial and a tribute to those who remember yesterday and have in faith in tomorrow, and it commemorates all Australians who were called upon to defend our country during times of conflict.
"The 36 Juniper blue arrow conifer trees lining the walk represent 36 sentinels who guard the right of entry to the memorial area.
"At the foot of each tree there is a plinth with a plaque inscribed with the name of one of the 36 battles that Australia has been involved in."
The magnificent Anzac Memorial Gates to the men who enlisted in the Glen Innes district were erected by the Citizens of Glen Innes and District through the efforts of the Girls Patriotic League.
Costing £1800 they were then understood to be one of the very few memorials sponsored entirely by women.
M F Bruxner MLA who opened them noted 'A beautiful symbolism in those gates, in that they represented the gates through which so many of their comrades had passed not knowing what was on the other side.'
A quiet stroll through the park or the Museum Services Room gives a sense of great gratitude to those who faced appalling times so that we should be able live the life we do today. Lest We Forget our veterans who so bravely put the needs of others before their own.
