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The following activities were held after 2014.
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| 30 Battalion Queens Colour in St Stephen's | 30 Battalion Regimental Colour in St Stephen's |
Our thanks to Ron Mallyon and Stuart Kennedy for contributing photographs (theirs are the good ones)
At the risk of being repetitive our report again begins with the weather for the 2015 30 Battalions' Church Parade so as to give credit where credit is due. Although the day was rainy before and after but not during the march to the Church, once again our organiser was successful in holding the rain at bay. Or was it because it was a Church Parade that a higher authority should take the credit?
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| The Pipes and Drums in Hyde Park found an appreciative audience of tourists |
The march from Hyde Park to St Stephen's took another turn this year. Due to the re-routing of traffic in the Sydney CBD to allow George St to be closed for the installation of the Sydney Light Rail project, Macquarie St is taking significantly more traffic our March terminated in Martin Place rather than outside the Church. Another piece of history was re-written, when the ladies of the Regiment who usually farewell us in Hyde Park, and then carry what we don't want to, joined us in the march, again carrying what we didn't want to as the following photo clearly shows.
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| The Ladies of the Regiment |
In Martin Place, an opportunity was taken to pay respects at the Commnando memorial following the traditional trooping of the Pipes and Drums.
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| Martin Place | Trooping the Pipes and Drums | Salute to the Commandos |
The Service this year was conducted by the Rev Ross Smith who was standing in for the New Minister The Rev Ken Day
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During the service the Pipes and Drums played a bracket of tunes including Going Home which is appropriate considering the 30 Battalion Colours are laid up in St Stephens. Our picture shows the Pipes and Drums playing under the Queen's Colour.
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Then to the Christmas Lunch at the Castlereagh Boutique Hotel where Frank Woodhams extended a special welcome to:
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| Marching in the Standards | Welcome from Frank Woodhams | Grace said by our Padre The Rev Dr Iain Barclay MBE TD |
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| Happy Lunchers. Note the Raffle Consultants Consulting | More Happy Lunchers consulting | and More |
We have now instituted a new tradition - or at least started to last year - Piping in the Pud. However with his usual impeccable sense of bad timing your photographer got the Santa Piper going instead of coming. But Graham Podmore got the timing right and consulted him about a raffle ticket while he was still coming!
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And then the usual highlight of the day, the Pipes and Drums
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As our Black Bear "Hoi" Leader, and therefore an honorary member of the Pipes and Drums Harvey Baden was invited to join the Pipe Major's Toast.
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The Raffle attracted the usual high number of valuable prizes.
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And some of the winners were:
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The Christmas lunch finished with a well deserved Presentation to Frank Woodhams from the Association. He was escorted to the podium by Peter Bryce and Terry Kennedy where Harvey Baden spoke very eloquently of Frank's devotion to the Association, his very significant role in its formation, his enthusiasm that has made the Associaton continue to be the most successful of those affiliated with the Reserve Forces Day Council and his wonderful success in engendering and promoting the continued esprit de corps of the Scottish.
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Our report on RFD 2015 features some before and after photos, if only to demonstrate the work that goes into our functions
The first is Macquarie St before the Parade. Our representation on the Reserve Forces Day Council exceeds that of any other Association, with Frank Woodhams as Treasurer, Ian Meek as Secretary, Terry Kennedy and Kevin Cram as Quartermasters. Frank is involved in the planning for the Parade at every level whilst Ian is responsible for the logistics side of the day and is assisted by Terry and Kevin. Perhaps it is because of the latter involvement and the fact that the Secretary of the RFDC is also the webmaster of this site that allows him to seek webmaster licence in showing the work done before the Parade commences:
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RFD 2015 took place on a perfect winter's day and did not provide the opportunity for Plan B for inclement weather to be tested. Contrary to the apparent calm atmosphere in Macquarie St at 1030 as depicted above (Webmaster Note: this atmosphere was not so calm between 0600 and 1030, in fact quite the reverse). However the scene in College St was one of feverish activity.
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However the scene became organised as the march commenced.
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After the Parade, the traditional New South Wales Scottish Annual Reunion at the Castlereagh Boutique Hotel
Here again we show a "before" photo, this time showing the organising team in action.
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About 90 members and guests attended.
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Frank Woodhams welcomed the special guests who included:
The proceedings started as usual with the Address to the Haggis. This was given by Hugh McLeod
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Frank then invited the Hon Tim Fischer to address the gathering, which he did by describing the career of General Sir John Monash. Tim Fischer has written a book on Sir John's life and is attempting to have him posthumously promoted to Field Marshal as the most successful Australian commander in World War 1. Tim finished his address by auctioning a copy of his book, with the proceeds to go to charity. The auction raised $170 courtesy of David Mullen.
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| The Hon Tim honouring Sir John |
In his genuine Scots accent Iain Barclay has previously given us pleasure by addressing the haggis but with Hugh having performed this role on this occasion we were treated to more Robert Burns in true Scots when Iain entertained us by reciting (and translating) A Man's A Man For A'That
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| The Rev Iain honouring the Man |
Toasts to the Queen (David Mullen) The Regiment (Graham Podmore),and Departed Army Mates (John Doak) and the ladies of the Regiment (Frank Woodhams) were proposed and drunk.
In proposing the Toast to the Regiment Graham Podmore added some fascinating references to the 30th Battalion in WW1 and the 2/30th in WW2 and their Commanding Officers.
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The Pipes and Drums again stirred us with a new selection of tunes.
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This was followed by the Pipe Major's toast. Note the transparent quaich used by Frank Woodhams. AsS your webmaster was seated to Jan he has it on good authority that Frank had recruited a driver for the afternoon hence the liberal quantity of Scotch in his transporent quaich instead of the usual minimum amounut of moisture in the bottom of it.
The proceedings concluded with the traditional raffle.
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Some of the winners who had to make difficult decisons were:
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Our thanks to Margaret and Graham Podmore and Damien Pace for the photos and to Hugh McLeod for the video.
We have commented previously about our organiser's abilty to turn on good weather for our events and so it proved once again See the following pictures
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| BEFORE | AFTER |
The Pipes and Drums made sure that the Opera House visitors were in no doubt that the Association had arrived.
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The first item on the agenda was the Annual General Meeting where Frank Woodhams summarised the events of 2014 and forecast a sussessful 2015. He passed in the thanks of the Association to the members who help in sending out SITREP, the marketing consultants who sell raffle tickets, the donors of raffle prizes and all those who make the Association such a success. He also revealed a very healthy financial position.
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| The AGM in session |
Then it was on to the main business of the day - enjoying Sydney Harbour.
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The main event of the afternoon was, as always, the performance by the Pipes and Drums. During a break in the performance Frank Woodhams conducted a short ceremony to remember the men of the 2/30th Battalion who fought and succeeded so gallantly at Gemas in 1942. This year due to security concerns at the Pymble depot, Gemas Day ceremony was not celebrated. Following the ceremony The Pipes and Drums played a lament
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Each year the Association allocates funds to the Pipes and Drums to maintain instruments, uniform items etc. Frank Woodhams presented this year's donation to Pipe Major Gordon Irving.
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Before drawing the raffle, the Vice-Chancellor of the McNeice University of Carringbah presented diplomas to the graduates of the University's Raffle Marketing Faculty.
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The highly qualified recipients were Graham Podmore, Vicki Redshaw, John Cameron, Peter Bryce and Stuart Kennedy.
The selection of prizes was as varied and numerous as usual headed by the Dulux Dog. It is understood that this was a historic occasion so far as the dog is concerned because in future the dog will be of the blow-up variety.
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Some of the happy winners were:
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| Our Vessel flying our Maritime Ensign |
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| The Pipes and Drums at the Opera House |
In perfect late summer weather the 2016 Annual General Meeting and Harbour Cruise was again a spectacular occasion enjoyed by 90 members and guests.
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The crew of the Good Time insisted that a good time could not be had by all unless lunch could be served on departure. (Were they afraid of sea-sickness?)
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Thus fortified we adjourned to the Annual General Meeting where President Frank outlined the very successful functions held during 2015, supported by a very healthy financial report, and forecast the 2016 activities.
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| The port side was brighter than the starboard! |
Then the usual highlight of all our functions, the Pipes and Drums entertained us.
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And the raffle - the prizes offered reaching their usual very high standard thanks to our prize donators and also realising a record addition to the Association funds thanks to Don McNeice and his highly trained team of consultants.
Some of the winners were:
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The reports on our various functions have always started off with a comment in the weather. While this may be useful for historical reasons the subject of the weather hardly makes scintillating reading. Your webmaster therefore promised himself that the weather would not be the opening subject for ANZAC Day 2016. However the weather on the day turned out to be so perfect that he could not resist reporting on it. Another promise broken!
The route of the march this year was altered from the traditional march past the Cenotaph and then on George St due to the work on the light rail in George St. It now takes marchers south along Elizabeth St with respects being given as the participants draw level with the ANZAC Memorial in Hyde Park South. Despite public comments from veterans about not marching past the Cenotaph, the new route seemed to win general approval. Certainly some of the 40 members of the Association who marched commented favourably on it.
The Association was led this year by Major Stephen von Muenster, the previous OC of Alpha Company (Scottish), who while serving in that capacity was a keen supporter of the Asscoation and who in his "retirement" from current service continues to support us as a member of the Association.
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Our thanks to Chris Coulson for the photographs
Following the March, our traditional NSW Scottish Reunion lunch was held at the Royal Automobile Club. This year, in Frank Woodham's absence the event was hosted by Harvey Baden, who despite being deputised at short notice did an excellent job as always.
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As usual the most popular event of the afternoon was the performance by the PIpes and Drums who once again demonstrated the breadth of their repertoire by including new tunes in their brackets.
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Our stand-in president showed he is as capable as our real president in toasting the Pipe-Major
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A special presentation was made to Vice-President Don McNeice for his very long standing and widespread support to the Association since its formation. Don has provided excellent support to Frank Woodhams in many ways and in many capacities during his long service to the Association and the presentation to him is very well deserved. This was acknowledged widely and enthusiastically by the members at the lunch.
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The raffle again proved popular with some of the winners being:
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About 30 members and guests and the Pipes and Drums attended the 2017 Gemas Day celebration. This is a pleasing turnout showing that Gemas is not forgotten by the current generation.
The 2/30 Battalion Association is still operative but only because its members now comprise, in the main, sons and daughters of the original men of the 2/30th. There are almost none of the orginals still alive and none still capable of attending Gemas Day. Once the memory is passed on to the next generation, it may well be that membership of the Association will decline.
The other WW2 Association of the 30 Battalions, the 30 Battalion 1939-1945, has already been dissolved.
It makes it even more important that our Association take up the baton in continuing the memory of the marvellous work done by the 2/30th at Gemas on 14 January 1942 and the memory of the members of the Battalion who perished then and subsequently as prisoners of war.
It is salutary to reflect on the effect of time by comparing the two photos below. The first shows the 2/30 Asscoation marching in 2008, and the second the members marching in 2017. Note the WW2 medals in the first picture and their absence in the second one.
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The following photo indicates how our attendance swelled the audience on the day.
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The keynote address on the day was given by CAPT Pat Sharkey, the current OC of Alpha Company (Scottish) who reflected on how appropriate the message given by previous guest speakers were then and now. Note that despite the reluctance by the Army hierarchy to support the history of Regiments such as the Scottish, CAPT Sharkey is carrying on the traditions as best he can by wearing the kilt when he can.
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Our Association is proud to lay a wreath on each Gemas Day and this year the wreath was laid by Frank Woodhams and Don McNeice.
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The tradition of marching past the Memorial is still carried on, although in a shortened version, despite the absence of any originals and this year we were proud to be invited to take part by the President of the 2/30 Association. The march was led by the Pipes and Drums as they have done for many years
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