May 16, 2024 • 17 mins
Have you ever heard of virtual fencing? No - it's not a cool new video game, but high-end technology that in a NSW first, is quite literally being road-tested on the Far South Coast to reduce the amount of roadkill in the region. Plus in the second part of this week's podcast a Bega memorial built in 1924 at a cost of 2000 pounds that was unveiled by the mothers of soliders killed in action during the First World War, celebrates 100 years.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Why are fast out coast.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
This was not instigated by council, but it was a
community who came to us and said, you know, we're
getting all these wildlife strikes on this particular road. We
need to do something about it. And they've done the
research behind it too and came to us with the
proposal to set up this virtual offense.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Have you ever heard of virtual fencing? No? Well it's
nothing to do with virtual reality or video game goggles,
but it could be the answer to saving wildlife on
our local roads. I'm James Fantasy. Great to have you
with us. And a little later in this episode, the
soldier's memorial on carp Street in Bega clocks up a
(00:40):
century and why it's so important to acknowledge its place
in our local war history. But right now, in what's
a first for New South Wales, the Urubadella Shire Council
has successfully trialed a virtual fencing system. It aims to
do two things, improve road safety and reduce the level
of roadkill. Oh, exactly does this virtual fencing work? Each
(01:05):
virtual fence consists of devices placed at twenty five meter
intervals that are triggered in sequence by headlights as a
vehicle moves along the road and so forming a virtual fence.
Heidi Thompson works as a Natural Resources coordinator at Urrobadella
Council and says they use non invasive audio and visual
(01:25):
alerts which deter animals from crossing the road.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
On each of the posts is a sense A device
which is solar powered. I'm not sure if the exact science,
but the small alarm that goes off and the flashing
light does prevent those animals from jumping out. So, because
there's space twenty five meters apart, we have that whole
distance covered along the one point one kilometers of roadside
(01:52):
And yeah, you can't see it, but it puts in
place a fence that has been really successful in holding back.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Those animals, which started in late twenty twenty two saw
the installation of around forty devices along about nine hundred
meters of roadside on Cullen Dullar Drive at Long Beach,
just north of Bateman's Bay. An additional two hundred meters
of virtual fencing was also applied to Blairs Road.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
This area of Long Beach was well known as a
wildlife hot spot, where there were strikes up to five
wildlife strikes a week, So it was an area where
we needed to do something to protect those wildlife from roads,
but also to protect vehicles and drivers from accidents on
our road.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Former chair of the Mid South Coast Branch of WIRES,
Jenelle Renees, has worked with Uribdella Council's Natural Resources team
and Coast Watchers to drive the technology trial.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
Well, it was certainly a joint effort that lots of enthusiasm,
and of course anything that we can do to reduce
the deaths of our wildlife on the roads is beneficial,
so you know, getting the funds together and getting a
sense up. But then color and Duller Drive in Long
Beach was chosen because it was the worst area in
our brand.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Janelle says the level of roadkill in the region was
getting to be quite horrific.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
I wouldn't be able to give you percentage wise, but
I would say that kangaroos would be probably the main one,
the highest percentage of what we do in the branch.
You would say pretty much every day you would have
at least one or two kangaroos or wallabies that have
been hit by vehicles. That's the amount of people that
are involved in these rescues. The misfortunate. You know, when
they do happen is you know, you've got the wildlife cares,
(03:33):
You've got counsel who generally, you know, have to come
and dispose of these bodies, and you've got people who
are caring for the orphan. Joey's not going to affect
for so many people, and obviously Joey's in care. You know,
we've had quite a few Joeys in care this season,
and you know we have to obviously have release sights
for them. It's saving animals, it's saving our wildlife. Obviously,
(03:56):
our wildlife is constantly at risk from so many factors.
Know their habitats and the amount of traffic on the
roads and losing their habitats and moving further into suburban areas.
All the time. We say to people slow down between
dusk and dawn, because that's when they move around the most.
But if we can save a few animals just by
(04:17):
changing our way of driving or putting up more virtual fencing,
that's all we can ask for.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
Can you give us a bit of an insight into
how much it costs to actually install and maintain the fences.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
So the trail out at Long Beach was one point
one kilometers and that cost around eleven thousand dollars to install.
We're lucky to receive funding for that from Great Eastern
Ranges and the World Wide Fund, and we're also working
with them again on the next stretch, which is at
duns Creek Road.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
That was my next question. Where else have fences been
installed since that first trial in Long Beach.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
So the latest one's been installed in duns Creek Road
between Mogo and Tommikin and we've had supportive counsels and
been able to secure a budget so that we can
continue to maintain those two areas but also seek out
new areas to set up the virtual fencing.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Yeah, and just with that maintenance, can you give us
any insight into what those costs may be.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
They're pretty low maintenance once they're set up, but it
does require checking every now and then just to make
sure that they're working. We've been lucky to have the
support of Wise volunteers who have been helping us with
that as well.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
The devices are made by Wildlife Safety Solutions and have
been extensively tested in Tasmania, particularly around retaining Tasmanian devils
and other wildlife and the results are impressive. With a
total roadkill reduction of fifty percent, that's not about outcome
for a relatively low cost, low maintenance technology. The question
(05:51):
is did it work that well here on the far
South coast.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
I think this is the first trial of its kind
in New South Wales and we've been able to reduce
the number of animal deaths from that particular stretch of
road from what was five animals a week sometimes and
right down to just five animals in the whole eight
months that we were trialing the program there.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
I'll just repeat those stats for you. Before the trial,
there were five animals being hit by a car every week,
but with the virtual fence in place, just five animals
were hit in the space of eight months. That's a
more than ninety percent reduction to the roadkill rate. You're
Abidella Shire May Matthew Hantcha says the results have been
so good the program is being expanded with Potato Point
(06:37):
Road another potential location.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
We're now looking at the results and seeing such great
cityback that we're getting and we know just from roadkill
learned that the numbers are down tremendously, not only obviously
less damage to cars, but less roadkill as well. We're
hoping that that data can be fed back and we're
going to be talking to Insurance Australia to see if
we can look at how premiums might be dropping in
(07:00):
this area as well due to those sensors. So we're
really looking to how we can roll out more of
it along the correct roads. It is specific to roads
eighty kilometers or slower, but we're hoping to put into
the long term budget of Council to make sure that
we can start putting it on all of our major
roads and that'll be something to be coming back to
Council either later in this year or next year.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
Council will be showcasing its results to other regions, with
the concept and trial outcomes to be presented at the
Australian Local Government Association meeting in July.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Well, I think if there's other Council, then other wildlife
agencies who are willing to push it and to get
on board, and once they see how simple it is
to set up, there's no reason it couldn't be rolled
out right across the country. It will work for all
different kinds of animals, not just kangaroos. So I think
there's lots of potential benefits across the country.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
And a reminder if you come across wildlife that's been
hit by a vehicle, you can call Wires twenty four
hours a day on one three hundred zero ninety four
seven three seven A quick break now then more. Iheartfar
South Coast.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Soon h a fast South Coast.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
Welcome back to Iheartfar South Coast. Biga is hosting a
very special event on the twenty fifth of May. It's
the centenary of the Bigger Soldiers Memorial. Locals know it
as the Gates where we gather on Anzac Day and
Remembrance Day.
Speaker 5 (08:28):
There'll actually be a march down the street like Anzack Day,
but it will be a much bigger affair. Obviously, one
hundred years of a soldier's memorials a pretty big deal.
The memorial in Biger is quite a big memorial and
one of the earliest ones built in the country.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
That's John Watkin from the Bigger Chamber of Commerce who
will see the event. The Bigger Soldiers Memorial commemorates those
from the district who've served in the various conflicts Australia
has been involved in. Although originally it was to honor
only those who served in World War One. The memorial
is a replica of the Meningate in Belgium and was
(09:03):
erected by a local Stonemason in nineteen twenty four at
a cost of two thousand pounds. It was unveiled by
the mothers of the soldiers who were killed in action
during World War One. Gary Berman is the president of
the Bigger RSL sub branch and says, one hundred years
on it's time to acknowledge what the Gates represent to
our community.
Speaker 6 (09:22):
We've been working on this since, believe it or not,
June last year. We'll be forming up at Club Biger
like we do Franzac Day around about ten past quarter
past ten, marching off those who are able to march,
moving around to the Centenary Gates area, and then we're
hoping the ceremony will commence at eleven o'clock. We'll have
some people there from Sidney ASL and others local members.
(09:45):
We'll be having the Duntrin Military Band and Bigger Band
playing for us, and we'll have escort from the Lighthorse
Benboker Troop and also the Biger Pony Club. We'll have
the Catafault party will be headed up by the Federation
Guard and we'll have army and maybe representation with a
one a five howitzer or cannon if you like, Bushmaster,
(10:08):
land ravers, maybe helicopter and whatever else we can con
the army in descending us, so hopefully we'll be a
couple more. Unfortunately we can't have the fly over by
the rule. That's because there've been otherwise engaged, so it's
a shame. But anyway, no worries.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
It's all that stuff's going to be on the ground
for people to have a look at.
Speaker 6 (10:25):
You once the actual march is finished, so it'll be
mounted people those vehicles I just talked about, any classic cars.
Then there'll be the dignitaries in cars, and then after
that all the vehicles will proceed down pass Kisses Lagoon,
Poplar Avenue and come back in at the bottom of
Beaga Street below reck Ground one, and then there'll be
(10:45):
sites there for them to set up on, and there'll
be some food stores there as well. So once the
ceremony's finished, people can walk down to Wreck one and
have a look at the exhibits there.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Why is it important to stop and celebrate for the centenary.
Speaker 6 (11:00):
Well, it was put together in nineteen twenty four. It
started off well before that. It was to pay homage,
if you wish, to the soldiers that at that time
had died in the First World War, which is sixty six.
They're on the tablets facing Peden Street. Those sixty six
men lost their lives in the First World War. They
weren't the only ones who served in the First World War,
but they were the ones who lost their lives. And
(11:21):
they'll be commemorated by their relations and if we haven't
got any relations for them, by a cohort of different
school kids from the different schools in Biga, who will
be carrying forward a picture of the person which will
then be hung on the fence by their relations or
the school kids. And then we'll be having wreathlaying specifically
for them afterwards, and another wreathlaying in addition to the
(11:43):
hymns and the ceremony itself. So that will be to
the b Bassed drum. So for example, we'll call up
Peter Smith's relationships for one of a better analogy. There'll
be a drum beat and I'll say Peter Smith whatever,
and then they'll move forward. They'll hang the photograph on
the gate, step back, give a chest salute if you like,
and then they'll move back into their seat, and so
(12:04):
that will go for the sixty six soldiers and Gary.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
I don't want to get too much into the nitty gritty,
but there's been a fair bit of work that's gone
into this in terms of restoration of the memorial and
also some work landscaping and stuff happening around there. Can
you just give us a bit of insight into that.
Speaker 6 (12:20):
I'd like to mention if I may, Pat Raymond from
the Genealogical Society and Kay Johnsy from the bigger history
called museum down there. Without those two, this wouldn't have
gotten off the ground. You can do all the painting,
all the decorating what you're like, but if unless you've
got the background to what went on, it wouldn't have flown.
And those two deserve a special mention because without them
(12:41):
it wouldn't have happened from the start. Ed Crowther and
Peter Fregoppolos from the council have done a great job
in fixing up the grounds of the precinct. We got
the Diosmas taken out, and we found sponsorship for sixty
six roses to go in there or turn it. Galliplis
which is red and iceberg rows, which is white for
(13:03):
each one of the lives that's lost. And we've also
tied that in with the significance of the RSL Badge,
which is white for the purity of thought, red for
the blood tie of comrades. And under the blue sky
which is where he got the sky which hopefully on
the day will be blue rather than gray. So that's that.
But they were responsible for doing that, and also the mayor,
the big fella. He said to me that he'd fixed
(13:25):
things up and he's done so, so that's great. The
town teams who've done all the work. Incidentally, the costs
so far with what we've done up to date is
just in excess of fifty six thousand dollars. And Terry Tuckwell,
who's doing the magnificent job as far as I'm concerned.
On the mural, she needs to be acknowledged as well.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
The new mural that sits next to the Soldier's memorial
depicts the silhouette of three soldiers representing the Army, Navy
and Air Force standing next to an eternal flame, and
above poppies are caught up with artist Terry Tuckwell, firstly,
can you talk a little bit about the wall that
you're working on and what was here previous?
Speaker 7 (14:03):
So the site of the reject Shot wall, it was
just a big, blank gray wall with some little bit
of amateur graffiti and nothing too pretty. And so now
the wall, as well as the rest of the park
is being restored into a much more beautiful, tranquil and
respectful environment. It's a really lovely thing to do when
(14:25):
we've had so much positive feedback from people passing us
in the street. Everybody's really happy to see it livening
up a forgotten corner.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
The mural includes four portraits. The first panel is of
Colonel Irwin from the First World War era.
Speaker 6 (14:39):
Who was a commander of the Lighthorse down here and
went to Egypt and the Western Desert in the First
World War.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
The second panel depicts sister Vivian Bullwinkle and the Second
World War era.
Speaker 6 (14:49):
Who was the nurse who was caught a Banker Island
and in the massacre there, the which she survived. I
figured that if anybody deserves a Victoria Cross for what
they went through, it was she. So she's our main
piece for the Second World War and Ariy Dwyer's father
was a prisoner of war. And there are two figurines
taken from a photograph where the fellas are in Changy
(15:11):
and they're lined up. There's more of them than the
two we could fit him. They're lined up in front
of getting their photograph taken by the Japanese and the
caption should be smile for the machine gun because behind
the photographer was a matter machine gun. If they didn't
do as they were told, they're going to get blitzed,
so they deserve a position there.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
The third reflects on Vietnam, the Malay Emergency and the
Indonesian confrontation.
Speaker 6 (15:32):
Main person there is Ronnie Keft. He was a machine
gun operator on a land rover. He was at Long Tan,
but he was in base waiting for them to sweep
through and defend the base, and he was wounded in
a subsequent operation about a year later. I think they
got some dropshorts from our artilleryal on New Zealand Artilly Cunt,
remember which that he copped some shrapnel. So he's there.
(15:54):
And then the secondary photograph is John Lehman, who was
in Borneo during the Indonesia confrontation.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
And the fourth and final panel is dedicated to Warrant
Officer Class one Darren Hallsizer and Australia's role in more
recent conflicts.
Speaker 6 (16:09):
Who is the RSM ceremonial for New South Wales and
act he's a Biger boy, his parents worked at the
co op, so he's the main feature there, with a
couple of secondary features for team more and stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
Terry Tuckwell is proud of her work and hopes the
mural can be a poignant reminder of Bega's wartime history
for generations to come. What do you think it's going
to mean for the people of Beiger and the community.
But also I guess those ex servicemen and women, well.
Speaker 7 (16:35):
I actually met one just a moment ago, who I've
been looking at photos of this young strapping lad in
Vietnam and a fellow approached me on the street today
and you know it's a fair few years on and
he said, oh, that's me that you're going to be painting.
So that was yeah. Just to remember that these men,
all these returns solders who might be a bit older now,
they were just young lads when they were all sent
(16:57):
over and yeah, we've had just a game, lots of
positive feedback about respecting these people who went over and
fought for us.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
And you mentioned the word respect there. What's the general
feeling that you hope people will get as they walk
past the mirror.
Speaker 7 (17:13):
Respect for those who have served. I mean, I'm not
in supportive war, and I don't know that a lot
of people who fought you were, but they went and
I think it's just respecting the sacrifice that's awful.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
Now on Iheartfar South Coast proudly supported by the new
South Wales Government. Thanks for listening. I'm James Fantasy. Catch
you next time.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
iHeart Fast South Coast
Why are fast out coast.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
This was not instigated by council, but it was a
community who came to us and said, you know, we're
getting all these wildlife strikes on this particular road. We
need to do something about it. And they've done the
research behind it too and came to us with the
proposal to set up this virtual offense.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Have you ever heard of virtual fencing? No? Well it's
nothing to do with virtual reality or video game goggles,
but it could be the answer to saving wildlife on
our local roads. I'm James Fantasy. Great to have you
with us. And a little later in this episode, the
soldier's memorial on carp Street in Bega clocks up a
(00:40):
century and why it's so important to acknowledge its place
in our local war history. But right now, in what's
a first for New South Wales, the Urubadella Shire Council
has successfully trialed a virtual fencing system. It aims to
do two things, improve road safety and reduce the level
of roadkill. Oh, exactly does this virtual fencing work? Each
(01:05):
virtual fence consists of devices placed at twenty five meter
intervals that are triggered in sequence by headlights as a
vehicle moves along the road and so forming a virtual fence.
Heidi Thompson works as a Natural Resources coordinator at Urrobadella
Council and says they use non invasive audio and visual
(01:25):
alerts which deter animals from crossing the road.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
On each of the posts is a sense A device
which is solar powered. I'm not sure if the exact science,
but the small alarm that goes off and the flashing
light does prevent those animals from jumping out. So, because
there's space twenty five meters apart, we have that whole
distance covered along the one point one kilometers of roadside
(01:52):
And yeah, you can't see it, but it puts in
place a fence that has been really successful in holding back.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Those animals, which started in late twenty twenty two saw
the installation of around forty devices along about nine hundred
meters of roadside on Cullen Dullar Drive at Long Beach,
just north of Bateman's Bay. An additional two hundred meters
of virtual fencing was also applied to Blairs Road.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
This area of Long Beach was well known as a
wildlife hot spot, where there were strikes up to five
wildlife strikes a week, So it was an area where
we needed to do something to protect those wildlife from roads,
but also to protect vehicles and drivers from accidents on
our road.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Former chair of the Mid South Coast Branch of WIRES,
Jenelle Renees, has worked with Uribdella Council's Natural Resources team
and Coast Watchers to drive the technology trial.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
Well, it was certainly a joint effort that lots of enthusiasm,
and of course anything that we can do to reduce
the deaths of our wildlife on the roads is beneficial,
so you know, getting the funds together and getting a
sense up. But then color and Duller Drive in Long
Beach was chosen because it was the worst area in
our brand.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Janelle says the level of roadkill in the region was
getting to be quite horrific.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
I wouldn't be able to give you percentage wise, but
I would say that kangaroos would be probably the main one,
the highest percentage of what we do in the branch.
You would say pretty much every day you would have
at least one or two kangaroos or wallabies that have
been hit by vehicles. That's the amount of people that
are involved in these rescues. The misfortunate. You know, when
they do happen is you know, you've got the wildlife cares,
(03:33):
You've got counsel who generally, you know, have to come
and dispose of these bodies, and you've got people who
are caring for the orphan. Joey's not going to affect
for so many people, and obviously Joey's in care. You know,
we've had quite a few Joeys in care this season,
and you know we have to obviously have release sights
for them. It's saving animals, it's saving our wildlife. Obviously,
(03:56):
our wildlife is constantly at risk from so many factors.
Know their habitats and the amount of traffic on the
roads and losing their habitats and moving further into suburban areas.
All the time. We say to people slow down between
dusk and dawn, because that's when they move around the most.
But if we can save a few animals just by
(04:17):
changing our way of driving or putting up more virtual fencing,
that's all we can ask for.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
Can you give us a bit of an insight into
how much it costs to actually install and maintain the fences.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
So the trail out at Long Beach was one point
one kilometers and that cost around eleven thousand dollars to install.
We're lucky to receive funding for that from Great Eastern
Ranges and the World Wide Fund, and we're also working
with them again on the next stretch, which is at
duns Creek Road.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
That was my next question. Where else have fences been
installed since that first trial in Long Beach.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
So the latest one's been installed in duns Creek Road
between Mogo and Tommikin and we've had supportive counsels and
been able to secure a budget so that we can
continue to maintain those two areas but also seek out
new areas to set up the virtual fencing.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Yeah, and just with that maintenance, can you give us
any insight into what those costs may be.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
They're pretty low maintenance once they're set up, but it
does require checking every now and then just to make
sure that they're working. We've been lucky to have the
support of Wise volunteers who have been helping us with
that as well.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
The devices are made by Wildlife Safety Solutions and have
been extensively tested in Tasmania, particularly around retaining Tasmanian devils
and other wildlife and the results are impressive. With a
total roadkill reduction of fifty percent, that's not about outcome
for a relatively low cost, low maintenance technology. The question
(05:51):
is did it work that well here on the far
South coast.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
I think this is the first trial of its kind
in New South Wales and we've been able to reduce
the number of animal deaths from that particular stretch of
road from what was five animals a week sometimes and
right down to just five animals in the whole eight
months that we were trialing the program there.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
I'll just repeat those stats for you. Before the trial,
there were five animals being hit by a car every week,
but with the virtual fence in place, just five animals
were hit in the space of eight months. That's a
more than ninety percent reduction to the roadkill rate. You're
Abidella Shire May Matthew Hantcha says the results have been
so good the program is being expanded with Potato Point
(06:37):
Road another potential location.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
We're now looking at the results and seeing such great
cityback that we're getting and we know just from roadkill
learned that the numbers are down tremendously, not only obviously
less damage to cars, but less roadkill as well. We're
hoping that that data can be fed back and we're
going to be talking to Insurance Australia to see if
we can look at how premiums might be dropping in
(07:00):
this area as well due to those sensors. So we're
really looking to how we can roll out more of
it along the correct roads. It is specific to roads
eighty kilometers or slower, but we're hoping to put into
the long term budget of Council to make sure that
we can start putting it on all of our major
roads and that'll be something to be coming back to
Council either later in this year or next year.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
Council will be showcasing its results to other regions, with
the concept and trial outcomes to be presented at the
Australian Local Government Association meeting in July.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Well, I think if there's other Council, then other wildlife
agencies who are willing to push it and to get
on board, and once they see how simple it is
to set up, there's no reason it couldn't be rolled
out right across the country. It will work for all
different kinds of animals, not just kangaroos. So I think
there's lots of potential benefits across the country.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
And a reminder if you come across wildlife that's been
hit by a vehicle, you can call Wires twenty four
hours a day on one three hundred zero ninety four
seven three seven A quick break now then more. Iheartfar
South Coast.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Soon h a fast South Coast.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
Welcome back to Iheartfar South Coast. Biga is hosting a
very special event on the twenty fifth of May. It's
the centenary of the Bigger Soldiers Memorial. Locals know it
as the Gates where we gather on Anzac Day and
Remembrance Day.
Speaker 5 (08:28):
There'll actually be a march down the street like Anzack Day,
but it will be a much bigger affair. Obviously, one
hundred years of a soldier's memorials a pretty big deal.
The memorial in Biger is quite a big memorial and
one of the earliest ones built in the country.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
That's John Watkin from the Bigger Chamber of Commerce who
will see the event. The Bigger Soldiers Memorial commemorates those
from the district who've served in the various conflicts Australia
has been involved in. Although originally it was to honor
only those who served in World War One. The memorial
is a replica of the Meningate in Belgium and was
(09:03):
erected by a local Stonemason in nineteen twenty four at
a cost of two thousand pounds. It was unveiled by
the mothers of the soldiers who were killed in action
during World War One. Gary Berman is the president of
the Bigger RSL sub branch and says, one hundred years
on it's time to acknowledge what the Gates represent to
our community.
Speaker 6 (09:22):
We've been working on this since, believe it or not,
June last year. We'll be forming up at Club Biger
like we do Franzac Day around about ten past quarter
past ten, marching off those who are able to march,
moving around to the Centenary Gates area, and then we're
hoping the ceremony will commence at eleven o'clock. We'll have
some people there from Sidney ASL and others local members.
(09:45):
We'll be having the Duntrin Military Band and Bigger Band
playing for us, and we'll have escort from the Lighthorse
Benboker Troop and also the Biger Pony Club. We'll have
the Catafault party will be headed up by the Federation
Guard and we'll have army and maybe representation with a
one a five howitzer or cannon if you like, Bushmaster,
(10:08):
land ravers, maybe helicopter and whatever else we can con
the army in descending us, so hopefully we'll be a
couple more. Unfortunately we can't have the fly over by
the rule. That's because there've been otherwise engaged, so it's
a shame. But anyway, no worries.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
It's all that stuff's going to be on the ground
for people to have a look at.
Speaker 6 (10:25):
You once the actual march is finished, so it'll be
mounted people those vehicles I just talked about, any classic cars.
Then there'll be the dignitaries in cars, and then after
that all the vehicles will proceed down pass Kisses Lagoon,
Poplar Avenue and come back in at the bottom of
Beaga Street below reck Ground one, and then there'll be
(10:45):
sites there for them to set up on, and there'll
be some food stores there as well. So once the
ceremony's finished, people can walk down to Wreck one and
have a look at the exhibits there.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Why is it important to stop and celebrate for the centenary.
Speaker 6 (11:00):
Well, it was put together in nineteen twenty four. It
started off well before that. It was to pay homage,
if you wish, to the soldiers that at that time
had died in the First World War, which is sixty six.
They're on the tablets facing Peden Street. Those sixty six
men lost their lives in the First World War. They
weren't the only ones who served in the First World War,
but they were the ones who lost their lives. And
(11:21):
they'll be commemorated by their relations and if we haven't
got any relations for them, by a cohort of different
school kids from the different schools in Biga, who will
be carrying forward a picture of the person which will
then be hung on the fence by their relations or
the school kids. And then we'll be having wreathlaying specifically
for them afterwards, and another wreathlaying in addition to the
(11:43):
hymns and the ceremony itself. So that will be to
the b Bassed drum. So for example, we'll call up
Peter Smith's relationships for one of a better analogy. There'll
be a drum beat and I'll say Peter Smith whatever,
and then they'll move forward. They'll hang the photograph on
the gate, step back, give a chest salute if you like,
and then they'll move back into their seat, and so
(12:04):
that will go for the sixty six soldiers and Gary.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
I don't want to get too much into the nitty gritty,
but there's been a fair bit of work that's gone
into this in terms of restoration of the memorial and
also some work landscaping and stuff happening around there. Can
you just give us a bit of insight into that.
Speaker 6 (12:20):
I'd like to mention if I may, Pat Raymond from
the Genealogical Society and Kay Johnsy from the bigger history
called museum down there. Without those two, this wouldn't have
gotten off the ground. You can do all the painting,
all the decorating what you're like, but if unless you've
got the background to what went on, it wouldn't have flown.
And those two deserve a special mention because without them
(12:41):
it wouldn't have happened from the start. Ed Crowther and
Peter Fregoppolos from the council have done a great job
in fixing up the grounds of the precinct. We got
the Diosmas taken out, and we found sponsorship for sixty
six roses to go in there or turn it. Galliplis
which is red and iceberg rows, which is white for
(13:03):
each one of the lives that's lost. And we've also
tied that in with the significance of the RSL Badge,
which is white for the purity of thought, red for
the blood tie of comrades. And under the blue sky
which is where he got the sky which hopefully on
the day will be blue rather than gray. So that's that.
But they were responsible for doing that, and also the mayor,
the big fella. He said to me that he'd fixed
(13:25):
things up and he's done so, so that's great. The
town teams who've done all the work. Incidentally, the costs
so far with what we've done up to date is
just in excess of fifty six thousand dollars. And Terry Tuckwell,
who's doing the magnificent job as far as I'm concerned.
On the mural, she needs to be acknowledged as well.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
The new mural that sits next to the Soldier's memorial
depicts the silhouette of three soldiers representing the Army, Navy
and Air Force standing next to an eternal flame, and
above poppies are caught up with artist Terry Tuckwell, firstly,
can you talk a little bit about the wall that
you're working on and what was here previous?
Speaker 7 (14:03):
So the site of the reject Shot wall, it was
just a big, blank gray wall with some little bit
of amateur graffiti and nothing too pretty. And so now
the wall, as well as the rest of the park
is being restored into a much more beautiful, tranquil and
respectful environment. It's a really lovely thing to do when
(14:25):
we've had so much positive feedback from people passing us
in the street. Everybody's really happy to see it livening
up a forgotten corner.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
The mural includes four portraits. The first panel is of
Colonel Irwin from the First World War era.
Speaker 6 (14:39):
Who was a commander of the Lighthorse down here and
went to Egypt and the Western Desert in the First
World War.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
The second panel depicts sister Vivian Bullwinkle and the Second
World War era.
Speaker 6 (14:49):
Who was the nurse who was caught a Banker Island
and in the massacre there, the which she survived. I
figured that if anybody deserves a Victoria Cross for what
they went through, it was she. So she's our main
piece for the Second World War and Ariy Dwyer's father
was a prisoner of war. And there are two figurines
taken from a photograph where the fellas are in Changy
(15:11):
and they're lined up. There's more of them than the
two we could fit him. They're lined up in front
of getting their photograph taken by the Japanese and the
caption should be smile for the machine gun because behind
the photographer was a matter machine gun. If they didn't
do as they were told, they're going to get blitzed,
so they deserve a position there.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
The third reflects on Vietnam, the Malay Emergency and the
Indonesian confrontation.
Speaker 6 (15:32):
Main person there is Ronnie Keft. He was a machine
gun operator on a land rover. He was at Long Tan,
but he was in base waiting for them to sweep
through and defend the base, and he was wounded in
a subsequent operation about a year later. I think they
got some dropshorts from our artilleryal on New Zealand Artilly Cunt,
remember which that he copped some shrapnel. So he's there.
(15:54):
And then the secondary photograph is John Lehman, who was
in Borneo during the Indonesia confrontation.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
And the fourth and final panel is dedicated to Warrant
Officer Class one Darren Hallsizer and Australia's role in more
recent conflicts.
Speaker 6 (16:09):
Who is the RSM ceremonial for New South Wales and
act he's a Biger boy, his parents worked at the
co op, so he's the main feature there, with a
couple of secondary features for team more and stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
Terry Tuckwell is proud of her work and hopes the
mural can be a poignant reminder of Bega's wartime history
for generations to come. What do you think it's going
to mean for the people of Beiger and the community.
But also I guess those ex servicemen and women, well.
Speaker 7 (16:35):
I actually met one just a moment ago, who I've
been looking at photos of this young strapping lad in
Vietnam and a fellow approached me on the street today
and you know it's a fair few years on and
he said, oh, that's me that you're going to be painting.
So that was yeah. Just to remember that these men,
all these returns solders who might be a bit older now,
they were just young lads when they were all sent
(16:57):
over and yeah, we've had just a game, lots of
positive feedback about respecting these people who went over and
fought for us.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
And you mentioned the word respect there. What's the general
feeling that you hope people will get as they walk
past the mirror.
Speaker 7 (17:13):
Respect for those who have served. I mean, I'm not
in supportive war, and I don't know that a lot
of people who fought you were, but they went and
I think it's just respecting the sacrifice that's awful.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
Now on Iheartfar South Coast proudly supported by the new
South Wales Government. Thanks for listening. I'm James Fantasy. Catch
you next time.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
iHeart Fast South Coast
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