WA VETERAN COMMUNITY RECEIVES $47,000 BOOST IN FUNDING  

Veteran communities from across Western Australia will share in $47,595 to help honour our nation’s past and present servicemen and women Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Bruce Billson, announced today.

Mr Billson said the funding is part of the Australian Government’s Saluting Their Service commemorations program, and helps bring our wartime history to life. 

"Saluting Their Service provides an important source of funding to community and ex-service organisations committed to recognising the service and sacrifice of our servicemen and women – past and present – and preserving Australia’s wartime heritage for future generations," Mr Billson said.

"Saluting Their Service encourages community understanding and participation by, for example, raising awareness of significant wartime anniversaries, supporting commemorative events, providing education resources for schools and preserving wartime memorabilia.  Many of these initiatives recall the major battles on the Western Front where we lost many thousands of lives 90 years ago.

"The Australian Government remains committed to supporting community projects that acknowledge those who have served, and continue to serve, our nation in wars, conflicts and peace operations.

"Since the program began ex-service and community organisations across Australia have benefited from Saluting Their Service funding" he said.

"As a nation, we remain indebted to the dedicated Australians who put their lives on the line in the service of Australia.  The Australian Government is committed to honouring them and their place in history—they will not be forgotten," Mr Billson said.

For more information about the Saluting Their Service commemorations program, go to www.dva.gov.au or call 1800 026 185.

Media inquiries: Cameron Hill  0408 239 521

Editors note: A list of grant recipients is attached

Saluting Their Service Grant Western Australia Recipients

• The Women’s Australian Air Force Association will receive a grant of $534 to help install a commemorative plaque on the Memorial Wall at the Air Force Memorial Estate at Bullcreek dedicated to the women who served in the Women’s Royal Australian Air Force.

• Mr Allen Stenhouse will receive a grant of $3000 to help publish a book titled Remember Rabaul Part 2 which contains information about the New Britain experience during World War II.

• The Australian Special Air Service Association WA Branch will receive a grant of $3000 to help hold a reunion for members of the Australian Special Air Service on 15 September at Campbell Barracks, Swanbourne, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Special Air Service Regiment.

• Catholic Homes will receive a grant of $1639 to help install a flagpole in the grounds of Ocean Star Aged Care in Bunbury to be used by residents on days of commemoration.

• The Royal Australian Air Force Association, Australian Pacific Branch, will receive a grant of $1250 for a reunion held in Bullcreek on 16 June 2007 for members of the RAAF Australian Pacific Branch.

• The Special Air Service Regiment Auxiliary will receive a grant of $3000 to help publish the history of the Special Air Service Regiment Auxiliary titled A History and Memoirs from SASR Auxiliary.

• Kelmscott-Pinjarra 10th Light Horse Memorial Troop will receive a grant of $1504 to help purchase three World War I uniforms for display at agricultural shows, school presentations and on days of commemoration.

• The Shire of Coorow will receive a grant of $3981 to help construct a new memorial in Cliff Park, Green Head, dedicated to those who have served Australia in all wars and conflicts.

• Belrose Care will receive a grant of $776 to install a flagpole in the grounds of the Grandview Aged Care Facility in Joondalup for use by residents on days of commemoration.

• The Naval Association of Australia Perth North Sub-section will receive a grant of $1403 to install a RAN Sloops Memorial Plaque in the Naval Memorial Park in Rockingham in memory of 280 Naval personnel who lost their lives during World War II.

• The Shire of Boyup Brook will receive a grant of $4000 to restore and improve the surrounds of the Sandakan Memorial in Sandakan Park, Boyup Brook.

• The Returned Sisters RSL Sub-branch will receive a grant of $2900 to upgrade the SS Vyner Brooke Nurses Memorial at Point Walter Reserve, Bicton.

• The Cunderdin Branch of the Royal WA Historical Society will receive a grant of $759 to install a plaque at the RAAF 9 Elementary Flying Training School in Cunderdin dedicated to the local men who trained at the school during World War II.

• The Manjimup RSL Sub-branch will receive a grant of $4000 to restore the Manjimup War Memorial and three honour boards.

• The City of Rockingham RSL Sub-branch will receive a grant of $2450 to install a display cabinet at the Sub-branch to protect, preserve and display wartime memorabilia.

• The Australian Special Air Service Association will receive a grant of $3000 to publish the 50th anniversary edition of the Special Air Service Regiment Rendezvous, which will be distributed for free to members of the regiment and to school libraries.

• The Geraldton Regional Library will receive a grant of $3000 to collect oral histories from veterans and the general community depicting life in Geraldton during the war years, which will be placed the library’s website and used to create a CD-Rom and an interactive touring display.

• The RAAF Radar Veterans WA Group will receive a grant of $500 to install a plaque on Vlamingh Head at Exmouth Gulf dedicated to Australian servicemen who served at Radar Station 310 and Radar Station 314 during World War II.

• Honouring Indigenous War Graves Inc will receive a grant of $4000 to install a new war memorial at Memorial Park in Broome dedicated to Z Special Force.

• Churches of Christ Homes & Community Services will receive a grant of $1639 to install a flagpole in the grounds of Bethenie Waters Aged Care Facility in Port Kennedy for use by residents on days of commemoration.

• The Shire of Koorda will receive a grant of $1260 to erect an honour board at the Koorda Cemetery listing the names and grave sites of returned servicemen and women who are now buried at the cemetery.