Celebrating the Centenary of ANZAC

MARCH 14, 2015: TIGER Moth fly-overs on Anzac Day, an artistic mural for a local school, a World War One exhibition and display cabinets for valuable war collections.These are just some examples of projects in the Mackay/Whitsundays region which will be undertaken thanks to the Abbott Government’s Anzac Centenary Local Grants.Congratulations to the various school and community groups who will pour their efforts into marking the Centenary of ANZAC in a significant fashion.[box style="1 or 2"]Almost $60,000 in federal funding is going towards the local commemorative projects announced today. Others will be announced in the near future.Some of the successful projects are;

• The purchase and fit out of two World War One display cabinets by the 122nd Army Cadet Unit;
• The construction of an artistic mural to commemorate the First World War at Mercy College;
• A First World War exhibition at the Bowen Historical Museum;
• A special fly-over of the Mackay by two Tiger Moth bi-planes by the Mackay Tiger Moth Museum. The fly-over will incorporate Farleigh, Kuttabul, Mackay, St Helens, Seaforth and Bucasia for this year’s special centenary Anzac Day.
• Earlier this year, the Proserpine Historical Museum Society was awarded almost $7,000 in funding to publish a book commemorating the service of Proserpine and Whitsunday locals to the Great War.

[/box]I also want to pay tribute to the Dawson Anzac Centenary Grants committee, especially Chairman Keith Payne VC, for their efforts in the selection process.Keith Payne VC and fellow committee members John Zimmerman and Col Benson have done a fantastic job in selecting an array of diverse local commemorative projects to celebrate 100 years of Anzac Day.Projects like these in Mackay and the Whitsundays are indicative of the enthusiasm and interest in Anzac Centenary commemorations.They ensure that community-based commemorations in honour of our ex-servicemen and women are at the heart of the Centenary of Anzac and that the legacies of all Australians involved live on for future generations.Funding of up to $125,000 has been made available through the Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program to each of the 150 Federal electorates to support projects commemorating the First World War.More than 1,020 community-based Anzac Centenary projects totalling $8.7 million will be funded through the Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program across 150 Federal electorates.