It’s less than three months until Parkes will commemorate the Centenary of Armistice, the end of World War I.
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And as part of the event, that will also be recognised nationally, the Parkes RSL Sub-Branch has been allocated funding to install wheels on the World War I German cannon in Cooke Park.
Parkes Shire Council has also secured funding to go towards the town’s memorials under a separate grants program.
Both grants for Parkes – with a small allocation from council and the sub-branch – come to a combined total of $21,611.
It was 100 years ago when the 77mm German field gun was captured by the 17th Battalion of the Australian Imperial Force on August 8, 1918.
It was originally presented to the Parkes community in 1921.
The Department of Veterans' Affairs will provide $9500 through the Centenary of Armistice program to manufacture the canon’s wheels, with council and the sub-branch contributing $1000 each.
Sub-branch secretary/treasurer Paul Thomas said they hope the wheels will be made and ready in time for Remembrance Day this year.
“We are very appreciative of the help we get from council,” he added.
“Council is not only providing funds for the cannon, they’re also contributing to the Vietnam War Memorial on Memorial Hill and the cenotaph in Cooke Park.”
Parkes’ second grant comes from the Saluting Their Service program, which this year covers 85 community projects that commemorate Australia’s wartime history – ranging from memorial gardens, exhibitions and sculptures, to repairs to cenotaphs, reunions and services.
There are 39 projects worth just over $91,000 in NSW, four of which belong to Parkes, totalling $10,111.
Just over $3600 will go to updating the honour roll plaques on the Vietnam War Memorial and the cenotaph.
The same amount will be spent on installing security lighting and cameras at the Vietnam War Memorial to deter vandalism.
A flagpole worth $1364 will also be erected at the Vietnam War Memorial.
And $1475 will go to updating the surrounding area of the Parkes Cenotaph.
The Parkes RSL Sub-Branch is planning a memorial dinner, featuring guest speaks for the Centenary of Armistice on Remembrance Day.
More details on the event to follow soon.
