Southern Wheatbelt towns secure funding to refurbish their war memorials and keep the Anzac spirit alive

Several southern Wheatbelt towns have received Federal Government funding to revamp their war memorials to help keep the Anzac spirit alive. In the week before Anzac Day, O’Connor MP Rick Wilson announced that the shires of Lake Grace, Cuballing, Kondinin and Nungarin, and the City of Albany, would share in $117,694 to refurbish their war memorials. The Shire of Lake Grace received $10,000 to improve its recently installed war memorial at the Newdegate sporting precinct. Shire chief executive Alan George said the new memorial would help encourage the younger generation to commemorate Anzac Day in the future. “I found over the last 10 or 15 years that people are seeing the importance of remembering the Anzacs and those people who have served,” he said. “It’s even more important now with the war that has come to people’s mind. “The younger generation are putting more thought into it and it’s creating a proper memorial here.” Mr George said the funding would enable them to put the finishing touches on the new war memorial. “It’s been in the pipeline for quite a couple of years and there were discussions held between different parties on its location and what form it was going to take,” he said. “It was decided to take its present form at the Newdegate sporting precinct and was subsequently finished two weeks ago “That was with our own funding that we had and it finally got spent, the additional grant money will go towards enhancing it.” The Newdegate community held an Anzac service at the new memorial on April 15. The Shire of Cuballing secured $10,000 to install metal artwork at the Cuballing War Memorial. The City of Albany received $77,694 to go towards new showcases and interpretive signs at the Princess Royal Fortress Gallery. “Wave Rock Tourist Development Company is also receiving $10,000 to purchase materials enabling installation of cabinets at its proposed miniature toy soldier museum,” Mr Wilson said. “The Nungarin Heritage Machinery and Army Museum has been granted $10,000 to purchase and install cabinets to display military memorabilia. “I am extraordinarily proud of the history of service in the O’Connor electorate and these projects are a wonderful way to reflect upon the sacrifice of the people who have served from all our communities.”