Only the song of a magpie and the short cry of a baby broke the quite at Kootingal, as hundreds of residents bowed their heads to mark a moment's silence.
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A healthy crowd attended the service, fittingly set beneath the park's pine tree – a descendent of the lone pine from which the famous Anzac-led battle on the Western Front took its name from.
Tamworth councillor and local resident Phil Betts led the ceremony, and said Kootingal and its neighbouring villages always put on a show.
“Kootingal and the Cockburn Valley has such as village spirit and village atmosphere, so everyone comes to support each other from that small community,” Cr Betts.
“Having said that, Kootingal and Moonbi are fast growing areas. To see a turn up like this is phenomenal.”
ANZAC DAY 2018
Cr Betts said local artist Fred Hillier went over to Gallipoli and the Western Front many years ago.
“He got a seed from right under the actual lone pine, and propagated a number of them. We had a ceremony there to commemorate planting those trees,” he said.
The Kootingal Pony Club gave a speech honouring the role played by horses in the theatre of war, complete with an authentic Light Horse uniform, which was worn by Amery Thompson.
Moonbi resident Alan Martins owns the uniform and has escorted the Governor General in it on a number of occasions.
He collect bits and pieces of the uniform over the years at various sales until he had the complete outfit – the bride, saddle, shirt, trousers, boots, spurs and .303 rifle are all original.
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Jamieson Murphy
Newcastle Herald news director and business reporter. Interested in any and all yarns. Whisper g'day mate to me at jamieson.murphy@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Newcastle Herald news director and business reporter. Interested in any and all yarns. Whisper g'day mate to me at jamieson.murphy@austcommunitymedia.com.au
