ANZAC Day in Braidwood 2015

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Braidwood commemorated the centenary of the Gallipoli Landings on a beautiful sunny morning on 25 April, 2015.
There was a dawn service at 6.30am, a March at 10.45am and a Service at 11am in Ryrie Park.
In the Service, eighty-eight schoolchildren represented each ANZAC soldier from the town. One of the names in the roll of honour was Robert Catlin. Robert died at Gallipoli early on the first day of the Landings. Robert was born at Reidsdale in 1888 and enlisted with the 11th Battalion in Western Australia. There is some information about Robert here.
Robert has no known grave but his name appears in the Lone Pine Cemetery, the Australian War Memorial and on the Braidwood War Memorial. He is remembered with one of these flags.
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One of the people in the parade was Neale Lavis. He rides in the parade each year. This year he was accompanied by two other riders to commemorate the deeds of the Light Horse.
Neale won a gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics in the team equestrian event. Neil is 85 years old and I look forward to his horsemanship in the parade. This year his two colleagues helped Neale with his very young horse and in doing so epitomised for me the deeds of the Light Horsemen all those years ago.
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There is a delightful celebration of Neale’s life prepared by the the National Museum of Australia to mark his 80th birthday.

There is a lot to remember and celebrate in a small New South Wales Town.

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