On the 19th I will be wearing my beautiful enamel poppy that my son bought me.

I will be wearing it to remember Leslie Leister who was wounded on that day and died in German hands the next day. Leslie was one of the 85 diggers who were buried in an unknown grave. 

As we all know at least 80 diggers have been identified and re-buried, still leaving 5 diggers unknown. Acting Corporal Leslie Leister 4840 of the 55th Battalion was the 75th person identified.

Six years ago Bill Jayet wrote an article in the Champion Post about Leslie.

Leslie Leister was born in Parkes and lived on the corner of Bogan and Church Streets with his adopted parents Robert and Eliza Leister, Eliza was Leslie's mums sister.

The researchers looking to identify all the diggers at Fromelles found it very difficult to identify him.

They could find no one who had similar DNA to his.

Out of the blue one of the Vets Affairs photographers was at Parkes cemetery trying to check that all service men had their numbers on their graves and he noticed on Leslie's grand parents Mr and Mrs Way's grave Leslies name.

No one knew who Leslie's father was so a female relative had to be found with the same DNA.

Tim Lycett from the Fromelles project eventually was able to contact the Dawes relatives.

The DNA from one of the Dawes relatives from Perth proved to be a match.

The family had no idea where he was buried but now he is buried in his own grave where his family can visit, near his mates in a grave in that special cemetery for all those who died at Fromelles.

Yvonne Hutton OAM

Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party MLC Robert Borsak repeated his call for NSW Nationals MPs to either cross the floor or leave the National Party over the Premier’s proposed greyhound racing ban.

The comments come after it was announced that the meeting with the Premier and the greyhound racing industry failed to change the Government’s stance on the ban.

“All NSW Nationals MPs have a choice: stand up for the families affected by this decision, or go down in history as once again failing to represent rural New South Wales.

“If the Nationals won’t fight Baird’s decision as a block, then they must consider crossing the floor, or better still, leaving the National Party altogether. “

“This will join the long list of issues where the Nationals have been overruled by the Liberal Party in the Coalition. This list includes the river red gums, NSW Farmers’ calls to repeal the Native Vegetation Act, and greater buffer zones for hazard reduction burning.

“The Nationals are a party in name, but lack substance. They have forgotten the people they represent.”

Mr Borsak highlighted comments from Western Australian MLC Nigel Hallett when he resigned from the Liberal Party last month.

“West Australian MLC Nigel Hallett joined the Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party because he knew that we are the party best placed to represent rural communities – without the fear of a dominant Coalition partner calling the shots.

“We will welcome any National Party MPs who wish to resign from their party and join us and stand up for the bush.

Mr Borsak thanked Mr Baird for taking his advice on 2GB to return from his holiday to face this issue had on, but criticised the lack of empathy shown to families across the state.

“I’m glad that Mike Baird took my advice to cut short his Gold Coast holiday and at least meet with the industry today,” Mr Borsak said.

“It’s easy for somebody, like the Premier, earning several hundreds of thousands of dollars and living on the Northern beaches to take a holiday, but what about the thousands of families who won’t be able to afford a holiday after his decision to ban greyhound racing?

“This decision has great consequences for the state of New South Wales, and thousands of families have had their livelihoods taken away from them by a Facebook post announcement from the Premier.

Robert Borsak MLC

Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party