25/04/2026
The 4:28 am ANZAC dawn service organised by the Monto Services Club, at the Monto Memorial Park, was by far the best service I have attended in Monto.
It began with Lachy’s emotional and heartfelt welcoming address, which brought tears to my eyes. His words were raw, from the heart, and full of passion regarding the significance of ANZAC Day for everyone.
This was followed by an unforgettable commemorative address by Lieutenant Daniel Maurangi, Platoon Commander of the Direct Fire Support Weapon Platoon, 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment.
I have attended decades of memorial services in Monto, and every year the names of local fallen soldiers are read out. However, until today, I never had a personal connection to or knowledge of those from the Monto district who served and fell.
In his address, Lt. Daniel shared how Ned Connell, a fallen WWII soldier from Monto, sacrificed his life in combat to draw out the enemy’s location so that his battalion, his mates, and ultimately his country could be safe. His actions and sacrifice saved many.
Thank you, Lt. Daniel, for sharing this story and demonstrating how these individuals are truly more than just names on a sheet of paper or a memorial plaque.
The service also included Monto’s very own Bob Bryan, who read the Ode. Every year, Monto is blessed to have him as a part of the service.
The entire ceremony is one that will be etched in my memory and heart for a lifetime.
It was also pleasing to see so many community members and young people in attendance; the 4:28 am dawn service is well worth waking up for.
A shout-out to the other members of the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, who came to Monto for the weekend, you made the Monto Services Club ANZAC service extra memorable.
Afterward, I headed over to the Monto RSL in time for the 6 am service, conducted by the Monto RSL Sub-Branch. It was great to see a blend of community members who had attended the earlier service as well as new attendees who may prefer to sleep in a little longer. It is truly wonderful that the community has multiple options to attend.
I also want to acknowledge the Monto 137 Army Cadet Unit. In less than 24 hours, they conducted three catafalque parties for ANZAC services in our community (the combined schools service on Friday morning, and both the 4:28 am and 6 am services on Saturday morning). They also laid poppies on memorial plaques and graves at the cemeteries and participated in the ANZAC march afterward. You are all absolute champions, and Monto is a better place because of you.
The ANZAC commemorative services concluded with a combined 9am march along Newton Street, led by the 6th Battalion. It was great to see such strong participation from the community and school students, as well as those who came to support and watch.
Before I sign off, I want to share my personal reflections on the past and hopeful future of remembrance services in Monto.
I believe our future lies in a unified spirit of respect, where the Monto Services Club and the Monto RSL Sub-Branch can move toward a space of mutual support and quiet coexistence. I emphasize "coexistence" because last year’s ANZAC Day showed it is possible, as veterans from both sides supported each other's activities.
By focusing on the shared mission of honoring those who served, both organizations have the opportunity to strengthen the town’s fabric, ensuring that individual services are bolstered by collective goodwill rather than overshadowed by public division.
A path forward built on open communication and shared dignity would allow each group to flourish in its own right, preserving both long-standing and new local traditions.
This would provide the community with a cohesive, respectful environment where the focus remains steadfastly on the legacy of our veterans, not the division of institutions.
There is no reason why both cannot coexist collaboratively within our community; many other service clubs and local businesses have managed to do so for decades.
Furthermore, no community member should feel as though they need to "split themselves in two" to support both equally, or feel forced to take sides, any the should never feel as though they don’t want to attend. Such division tears at the fabric of our community and detracts from honoring those who served.
Having two organisations should not be viewed as a division, but as an enhancement of our community’s opportunities to show honour, ensuring that the spirit of the ANZACs and the fallen thrives for future generations.
The Services Club and the Monto RSL Sub-Branch should not be labeled as "the same," as they clearly provide different things to their respective veteran members. As I am not a veteran, I will not judge whether they should combine; that is a choice for the veterans themselves, a freedom they fought and many died for.
For the sake of our community, I pray that moving forward, a stance of coexistence is embraced by both parties and the community as a whole.
