General News
30 April, 2025
Numbers strong at North West Anzac Day services
Thousands of people turned out to pay their respects on April 25.
North West residents turned out in droves on Friday morning to pay tribute to Australia’s fallen soldiers as part of Anzac Day services staged across the country.
Hundreds of locals attended the dawn services in their community and many more backed up for the later morning parades and services.
Cloncurry Shire mayor Greg Campbell said it was important to “remember their sacrifices and their courage, and thank them for their legacy – this great country we all call home today”.
“Today is a sombre day to honour and commemorate those who have served or are still serving our country,” he said.
“Our obligation, as Australians, is to never take for granted how good this country is, never underestimate what our freedom is worth, and what it has cost.
“Lest we forget.”
Those thoughts were echoed by Reverend Simon Owen, who told the story of Lance Corporal Elvas Jenkins, a Cloncurry man who fought in the Great War.
“Just recently, a World War I bible, originally from Cloncurry, has been returned to Cloncurry and donated to the local RSL,” the head of St Andrew’s Church said.
“This bible belonged to a son, a brother, somebody who lived here like us in Cloncurry, but was called away to fight in war so that we can be standing here today.
“And for Lance Corporal Elvas Jenkins, the bible saved his life when a lead ball from an exploded shell inserted in his bible that he kept near his heart.
“He wrote, ‘if it was not for this book I would not be here today’ and, for the remainder of his life, his bullet-proof bible was kept, read and treasured, and passed onto his children.”
The story of Corporal Jenkins was just one of many shared across the region at Anzac Day services on Friday as communities paid tribute to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
