Pittwater Online News

April 1 - 30, 2025: Issue 641

Anzac Day in Pittwater: 2025

On Sunday April 20 the Narrabeen RSL Sub-Branch ANZAC Day 2025 Commemoration held their march from Narrabeen Surf Club to Narrabeen Cenotaph, followed by a service.

The War Veterans RSL Anzac LifeCare Village at Narrabeen held a march and commemorative service on 23 April and a Dawn Service on April 25, attended by a huge crowd with MP for Mackellar Dr. Sophie Scamps in attendance.

Dr. Scamps stated this was a truly moving Commemoration which she felt honoured to attend and be one among the many residents of all ages honouring those who have served and serve still.

Later that morning RSL Cabs again ferried Veterans to the March in town.

At Pittwater RSL Sub-Branch President Deborah Carter led the Dawn Service and Sub-Branch Member WO2 Shane Fender gave the ANZAC address. Their commencement parade was led out by pipers giving a sterling rendition of Waltzing Matilda. 

At the conclusion of Anzac Address President Deborah Carter broke the news that our community has lost World War Two Veteran  Gwen Sneesby just days before this year's Services. 

President Carter stated:

''Anzac Day is not just about WW1 (the war to end all wars) but is a remembrance of all campaigns in theatres of war and sadly many wars have followed. 

In my view, the war that changed Australia was WW2 because the enemy was close on our doorstep and the Brisbane line was proposed. With the fear of occupation of the Japanese, the government decided that the Japanese could live north of Brisbane, and the Australians could live south of Brisbane.

I pay tribute to our WW2 veterans, the young men of the militia of Kokoda, Templeton’s Crossing, the battles Milne Bay, Gona and Buna which broke the back of the Japanese from further aspirations to take Australia.

I also pay tribute to the 7th division on returning from the Middle East who assisted with this triumph.

Sadly, on Thursday 10 April this year, we lost WW2 Veteran, Gwen Sneesby, nee Forster. Service no. WR379.  (17 June 1924 – 10 April 2025, just 9 weeks short of her 101st birthday).  

Gwen was a Mona Vale girl who attended Mona Vale Public School and her name is on the WW2 Honour Roll; Gwen Forster. 

Gwen’s father was in the Australian Navy in WW1. He was seconded to England to work with the Royal Navy. As a small child, Gwen returned to Australia by ship and this is when she decided she wanted to join the Navy.  

With the outbreak of WW2, Gwen went to the recruiting office was in Loftus street, Circular Quay and signed up to become a WRAN; she was 18 years.   

After basic training at HMAS Penguin, Gwen spent the next three years at Bradley’s Head Degaussing Range. This was built and staffed by the US Navy who trained eight WRANS (where Gwen was Leading Writer) to operate the instruments required for the testing of the ship’s Magnetic Field. This was essential for the electrical officers to calculate settings required to repel magnetic mines. The Degaussing Range was later taken over by the RAN and at the end of the war the building was completely demolished.

On 01 June 1942, at 2:30am, the Japanese Midget Subs entered Sydney Harbour and torpedoed the steam ferry HMAS Kuttabul which was docked at Garden Island where 21 sailors were killed.  Fatefully, Gwen happened to be off duty when the HMAS Kuttabul was sunk. 

Anzac Day is not just a day we remember our ANZACS, but we salute all veterans who have put on the uniform, in particular, our current serving members and Reservists who have kept us safe during fire assist, Covid safe, floods and border control. Thanks also to our Kiwi cousins.''

VALE Gwen - and thank you for your Service.

At the Newport beach cenotaph in Trafalgar Park Col. Stevens DSC CSC led the Dawn Service for the large crowd who gathered silently there, with Mackellar 2025 Candidate and former RSL NSW President and Invictus Australia Chair James Brown giving the Commemoration Address. 

Mr. Brown served as an officer in the Australian Army and commanded a cavalry troop in Iraq, was attached to Special Forces in Afghanistan, and received a commendation for his work in the Solomon Islands. Residents still remember his call when first elected president of RSL NSW to stop spending money on fancy memorials and use it instead for support, especially mental health for returning Veterans of the conflicts he had served in. 

Newport's simple cenotaph, centred in this green space beneath towering eucalypts, would serve to illustrate his point. This Veteran, having grown up in our area, and with a legacy of family members who have served in surf lifesaving on the peninsula for decades, may have felt as though he was coming home again this Anzac Day.

Bilgola Beach SLSC conducted a pre-patrol ceremony and Surf Lifesaving March Past on the sand at 8.30 am. 

At Avalon Beach RSL the Dawn Service was conducted by Commodore Richard Menhinick AM, CSC, RAN, re’td., the President of Avalon Beach RSL Sub-Branch, assisted by Paul Sinclair, the President of Avalon Beach RSL Club Ltd.

Avalon's 11am March was attended by Pittwater RSL Sub-Branch Members, all local schools and sport clubs and community groups, including Zonta Northern Beaches.

Guest Speaker as Colonel Bradley Robertson CSC, President of the Veteran’s charity, Carry On who was introduced by Lieutenant Commander Tamara Sloper-Harding OAM, Vice-President of Avalon Beach RSL Sub-Branch. Tamara is one of the Directors of Carry On, the 10th hat this lady wears in serving our community.

Carry On is a Veteran Service Organisation established in July 1932 by 12 like-minded Veterans of World War 1, who took on the task of assisting those who were less fortunate than themselves. Carry On provides housing and financial assistance to the Ex-Service community and their dependents, without any government funding or grants.

During his Address Col. Robertson informed the crowd gathered that our nation currently has six thousand homeless Veterans and that we need to ensure those who have looked after us are in turn supported when they leave our defence arms and remembered on all the other days of the years as well.

''Despite decades of progress, veteran homelessness remains a pressing issue in Australia.'' Col Robertson said

''Reports indicate that veterans are overrepresented in homelessness statistics, often due to factors such as PTSD, physical injuries, and difficulties transitioning to civilian employment. Without stable housing, many veterans find it nearly impossible to rebuild their lives, secure work, or maintain good health.''

''Veteran welfare extends beyond just housing. Access to mental health support, employment programs, and financial assistance is crucial in ensuring that those who served our country are not left behind. Organisations like Veteran Housing Australia and Carry On have stepped up to bridge the gaps, providing crisis accommodation, permanent housing solutions, and welfare support tailored to veterans’ needs.

ANZAC Day is not just about remembering those who served but also a call to action to support those still struggling. By advocating for better veteran housing and welfare services, we can uphold the ANZAC spirit of mateship and ensure that no veteran is left without a place to call home.

As we pay tribute to the sacrifices made by our service members, let us also recognise our responsibility to support them beyond the battlefield. Housing, mental health care, and welfare are not privileges—they are necessities. The fight for our veterans’ wellbeing is one we must take part in, today and always.''

Col. Robertson agreed to a Profile being run for Carry On in the news service - so more on that soon.

Palm Beach RSL Sub-Branch conducted a Dawn Service at Whale Beach and a March and Service at 11am at their clubs cenotaph on the Barrenjoey road before hosting a Members and friends luncheon attended by Patron the Hon. Bronwyn Bishop AO. 

One of their founding members is the 2025 History Tribute in this 110th year since Australians landed at Gallipoli; Capt. Carl Gow. Mr. Gow MC, fought at Gallipoli and in France's most horrific WWI battles and is remembered, still, as one of nature's true gentlemen by all who knew him. 

Bayview, Church Point, Scotland Island, Elvina and Lovett Bay residents held an 11am Commemoration Service at Thomas Stephens Reserve in Church Point, another 'packed room'.

Pittwater MP Jacqui Scruby attended the Dawn Service at Pittwater RSL, the 11am Service at Avalon Beach RSL and also spoke to Veterans at the Palm Beach RSL Sub-Branch after their Commemoration Services.

Dr. Sophie Scamps, MP for Mackellar, had representatives at every Service she could not attend due to being at another, across the Pittwater Peninsula, who laid wreaths as part of each Commemoration.

In the 110th year since Australians first landed at Gallipoli, whether at dawn, during the 11am marches and services, or at the dusk service held on Collaroy Beach by their Sub-Branch, residents honoured and paid tribute to those who came before them and spoke of how they may serve recently returned Veterans and those who serve still.

Avalon Beach SLSC - 100 years in 2025. Photos courtesy Roger Sayers OAM

Below run the Requiem for Anzac Day - Dawn Address by Commodore Richard T. Menhinick AM, CSC, RAN, Ret’d., President Avalon Beach RSL Sub Branch and that given by Pittwater Sub-Branch Member WOFF2 Shane Fender at the Dawn Commemoration Service held at Mona Vale-Warriewood.

Also some of the photos from this year's services. The Pittwater Online Avalon Beach 11am March and Service ones are available on the PON's Flickr for those who want to download pictures for their own family albums. Apologies for any 'fuzzies' that get through and waste your scrolling time. However, the shift from Google Pictures to Flickr allows us to upload higher resolution images for you. 

Pittwater RSL: Anzac Day Dawn Service 2025

Photos by Michael Mannington OAM, Community Photography

Requiem for Anzac Day: Dawn Address 2025

Given by Warrant Officer Class 2 (WO2)Shane Fender 
Member of Pittwater RSL Sub-Branch

Thank you, Deb for your introduction but more importantly for your work as President Pittwater Sub branch, for the welfare of our veterans and your service to the community.

Veterans, Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls………… my fellow Australians,

My commemorative Address for this ANZAC Day 2025 is Honouring Sacrifice, Courage, Selflessness, and Mateship Across Generations.

On this morning at dawn, we gather as one community as one nation to mark a day of profound significance — ANZAC Day. It is a day that binds us to our past and reminds us of the values that continue to define who we are as Australians: sacrifice, courage, selflessness, and mateship. These values, first forged on the battlefields of World War I, were carried forward into World War II, and they have shaped Australia’s approach to conflict, peacekeeping, and diplomacy in the years since. As we stand together in 2025, we remember the men and women who served in both world wars, in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and in the many peacekeeping operations our Defence Force has undertaken, and we reflect on the lessons they left us — lessons that remain vital as we navigate today’s complex geopolitical landscape.

Sacrifice: The Ultimate Price for Freedom

Sacrifice lies at the heart of ANZAC Day. It is the unflinching willingness to give one’s life, or risk it, for something greater than oneself — for family, for comrades, for country. The courage and determination of those who fought in World War I, and later in World War II, changed the course of history. And yet, it is the sacrifices made by all Australian Defence personnel — and their families — that leaves the most lasting impression.

110 years ago, on this day, Australians fought and died at Gallipoli, then on the Western Front, and in other theatres of WW1. The campaign at Gallipoli remains one of the most painful and heroic chapters in our history. In the face of overwhelming adversity, soldiers showed extraordinary resolve. Among the dead, the wounded, and the missing, there was no shortage of stories that exemplified the sacrifice of our soldiers. The price of freedom was steep. More than 60,000 Australians perished, and tens of thousands more were wounded, forever marked by the horrors of war.

World War II, which ended 80 years ago this September, was a conflict on an even more global scale, and the Australian sacrifices were no less significant. In the early stages of the war, the Australian Navy, Army, and Air Force faced many challenges, both overseas and at home. One of the earliest and most poignant examples of sacrifice came with the fall of Singapore in 1942. It was a devastating blow to the Allied forces in the Pacific, when over 15,000 Australian soldiers, were captured as prisoners of war. These men endured unimaginable hardship in the Japanese prison camps, with brutal forced labour, starvation, and physical abuse. Yet despite these dire conditions, they never gave up their sense of duty to each other or to their country. Over 7000 never come home.

Of individual note, we remember the sacrifice of Ordinary Seaman Edward “Teddy” Sheean VC. While serving on board HMAS Armidale in December 1942, south of East Timor attempting to evacuate Australian and Dutch soldiers. The ship came under attack from Japanese aircraft. Ordinary Seaman Sheean helped free a life raft, allowing his shipmates to escape the sinking ship, before he returned to the ship’s Oerlikon gun and firing at the enemy hitting at least 2 of their aircraft. Despite being wounded in the chest and back, the 18 year old strapped himself to the gun and continued firing until and as the ship sank, taking him to his death. His firing made the Japanese break off from the attack, his shipmates now safe.

More recently, Australian service personnel have continued to make sacrifices in contemporary conflicts. Our involvement in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan saw the loss of 43 Australian lives and the wounding of hundreds more. While these wars may seem distant, they too were fought in the name of freedom, peace, and stability. These Australians served as peacekeepers, nation builders, and soldiers in foreign lands, just as their forebears did in the previous two World Wars. These sacrifices are as much a part of our history as those in Gallipoli or New Guinea, and we must remember them with the same reverence.

The ultimate sacrifice, of course, was this loss of life — the names of our men and women over 103,000 whose futures were stolen by war… their tomorrow for your today. But it is not just the soldiers who sacrificed. Families at home endure as well. The mothers, fathers, wives, husbands and children of those who deploy bore their own invisible scars. The sacrifices of these were also immense as they managed households, kept families together, and supported the war effort on the home front.

Courage: Facing Fear with Resolve

Courage is often defined as the ability to act despite fear. During all conflicts, Australian’s displayed this type of courage, day in and day out. Whether they were in the thick of battle, in the skies, or the deep blue seas, they exhibited extraordinary bravery in the face of overwhelming odds.

Take, for instance, the story of the men who fought on the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea. This harrowing campaign, fought between July and November 1942, saw Australian soldiers, often outnumbered and under-equipped, face the might of the Japanese Imperial Army. The conditions were brutal: thick jungle, constant rain, tropical diseases, and the relentless threat of enemy attack. Yet, despite these challenges, Australian soldiers demonstrated incredible courage. The Kokoda campaign became a symbol of Australia’s resolve in the face of invasion, and the men who fought there earned a place in our national memory as the embodiment of courage under fire.

One particularly heroic figure was Private Bruce Kingsbury, a soldier with the 2/14th Battalion. In August 1942, while fighting to defend the critical position at Isurava, Kingsbury, armed only with a machine gun, launched a lone counterattack against a larger Japanese force. Despite being heavily outnumbered, he took on the enemy, killing many and buying precious time for his comrades to regroup. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his extraordinary bravery. Kingsbury’s courage reflects the spirit of ANZAC — the courage to face the impossible, not for glory, but for duty and comradeship.

In the skies over Europe, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) also displayed exceptional courage. During the Battle of Britain and the bombing campaigns over Germany, Australian pilots took part in some of the most dangerous missions imaginable. One such example was Flying Officer Clive Caldwell, one of Australia’s top aces in World War II. His daring and skill in aerial combat led to him downing numerous enemy aircraft, but his courage wasn’t only demonstrated in the heat of battle. It was also shown in his leadership, inspiring those under his command to fly into danger with confidence, knowing they had his unwavering support.

Selflessness: Putting the Needs of Others First

The value of selflessness is perhaps most clearly embodied in the actions of Australian Defence members who were always ready to put the needs of their comrades above their own. It is a quality that is so deeply ingrained in the Australian character that it transcends wartime and echoes in times of peace.

In all conflicts, selflessness was visible in countless acts of bravery, from soldiers who risked their lives to rescue comrades in the heat of battle, to those who worked tirelessly to care for the wounded. In the harsh and unforgiving environments of war, where disease and injury claimed many lives, Australian soldiers constantly looked out for one another. One example comes from the experiences of the men of Delta Coy 6 RAR during the Battle of Long tan in South Vietnam. Faced with overwhelming odds, these men displayed remarkable bravery, but it was their selflessness that ensured they stayed together as a unit. They refused to leave anyone behind, even when the odds were stacked against them. They displayed an unbreakable bond, forged in adversity, that would become a reminder of the Australian spirit forged decades earlier.

In contemporary Australian peacekeeping and military operations, selflessness continues to play a crucial role. Australian personnel in Rwanda, Somalia, East Timor, Solomon Islands, Iraq and Afghanistan, have repeatedly demonstrated this same spirit. Whether it was in the jungles of the Pacific or the deserts of Africa or the Middle East, Australian soldiers and peacekeepers have not only faced down the enemy, but they have also helped rebuild communities, care for the vulnerable, and support the peace process. Their commitment to peace and stability has not been for personal gain but to ensure a safer world for future generations.

And finally, mateship: The Cornerstone of Australian Identity

Perhaps the most enduring legacy of the ANZAC spirit is mateship — the deep, unspoken bond that ties soldiers together. Mateship is the foundation of the Australian Defence Force and is central to our national identity. It is the understanding that no matter the circumstance, you will never leave your mate behind, and that together, you can overcome any obstacle.

A shining light, the story of Australian nurse Vivian Bullwinkel AO MBE ARRC ED who survived the torpedoing of SS Vyner Brooke that was trying to escape Singapore in Feb 1942. Along with 21 nurses, men women and children and a large group of soldiers from another ship who made it ashore on Bangka Island they were soon captured by the Japanese. She then witnessed the massacre of all the soldiers, men women and children before the systematic rape of the nurses. The Japanese then ordered the nurses to march into the ocean, despite the horrors she had just seen she focussed her thoughts to her sisters, told them to hold hands, chins up and join her in song together….they were then machine gunned from behind. Bullwinkel was shot herself but feigned death until the Japanese left. Alone she hid with another wounded British soldier but were captured again however the soldiers succumbed to his wounds and she remained a prisoner of war for the next 3 and a half years. She later testified at the Tokyo War Crimes tribunal in 1946 before dedicating her life to the Nursing profession and raising funds for a Nurses memorial and later unveiling a shrine on that same fated beach in 1992 to all nurses who had not survived the war, never forgetting her mates. Her story resides within all the values I have raised today.

Sister (Sr) Vivian Bullwinkel and her mother at a reception held at the 115th Australian General Hospital in honour of a party of returned Australian Army Nursing sisters who had been prisoners of war (POWs). Sr Bullwinkel was the sole survivor of the Banka Island massacre in which 21 Australian Army sisters were killed by Japanese troops on Banka Island, following the sinking of the SS Vyner Brooke. Sr Bullwinkel was shot but survived and later surrendered to Japanese troops. She was held captive for three and a half years in Sumatra. photo:  Australian War Memorial

Avalon Beach RSL: Anzac Day Dawn Service 2025

Requiem for Anzac Day: Dawn Address 2025

110 years ago, in the early dawn, sailors and soldiers of Australia and New Zealand landed at what is now Anzac Cove. Their average age was around 26, and for just about all of them, their only experience of being at sea was on the long voyage to Egypt the previous year, and then the short passage across the Mediterranean to the shores of Turkiye. The previous day, sailors and soldiers from Britain, France and India had landed just to the east at Cape Helles in the Dardanelles. This was part of an attempt to cut Turkiye out of the war and open up a southern supply route to Czarist Russia.

None of this mattered that much to our young men that morning, though. They were in all probability making a few jokes, quite a few I am guessing would be quietly praying, some might be writing a letter home, perhaps for New South Welshmen, Queenslanders and Kiwis chatting about rugby or rugby league while Victorians, South Australians, Western Australians and Tasmanians about Aussie Rules, and trying to act normally, as the doubts and fear of what they might face in the dawn became a reality to them. So normal people, sons, brothers, fathers thrust into an absolutely abnormal event.

At sea not only were sailors manning the ships and boats off Gallipoli but at 2.30 am on 25th April, so just before the landings, the Australian submarine AE2 under the command of an Irishman, Lieutenant Henry Stoker, Royal Navy, and with a mixed crew of Brits and Aussies, picked her way through mines, mooring cables and dodged gunfire from shore batteries, torpedoed a Turkish cruiser, chased off a Turkish battleship that was firing on British forces at Cape Helles and passed through the Dardanelles and entered the Sea of Marmara, the sea adjacent to Istanbul – an amazing feat of skill and daring.

The submarine HMAS AE2, berthed at Garden Island in Sydney, with the HMAS AE1 behind. Taken soon after arrival on May 24, 1914

If you look around this dawn, as faces and figures slowly become more discernible, you will perhaps get a bit of a feeling for these fellow countrymen of ours, in a submarine under the sea in hostile narrow waters, or seated in small wooden boats, approaching what was supposed to be flat beaches, a bit like our own Avalon Beach, dunes and sand mounds rising just beyond the breaking waves.

For those landing at Anzac Cove, I like all of you, can only wonder at the shock to our young men of seeing ragged vertical cliffs, landmarks subsequently christened the Nek, the Sphinx and other jagged seemingly insurmountable cliffs greeting them instead as the dawn broke. It really is a site to behold, Anzac Cove from the sea at dawn.

That our soldiers got so close to breaching those coastal cliffs and moving out onto the plains of the Gallipoli Peninsula, towards Istanbul, is just beyond comprehension. The gap between total success and failure was about 100 metres, because if they had  breached those hills, as they so very nearly did, the plains of Turkiye were open to them to advance. But heroism was in big supply on both sides and the Turkish forces under Kemal Ataturk, held out.

The 8 months on that peninsula so far away from home, forged a legend and a folklore which we honour this morning. Today we can reflect with pride and sorrow at their sacrifices and the valour and suffering of all men and women and families in all wars, operations and training activities for our Navy, Army and Air Force in the 110 years that have followed.

The 33rd American President Harry S Truman said, “There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know.”

Truman was right when he uttered that statement. As we survey the chaos of the world today, the issues that surprise us, sadden us, amaze us, make us happy or just bewilder us, have all been seen and experienced before.

I think that if we could hear from a sailor or soldier from the landings 110 years ago, caught up in a similarly chaotic world, they would pass on to us a simple lived message of the sanctity of peace, of community, of commemoration, of kindness to each other, thankfulness, humility and love.

In Australia, buffeted by headwinds and the increasingly swirling currents of world events and politics, we need to try harder, all of us, to respect people, act decently and understand, honour and reflect, where necessary on history and then be clear eyed and resolute in our determination to be prepared properly, in case the horror of conflict is visited on us again.

I can speak with absolute certainty that the sailors and soldiers on the landings 110 years ago this morning weren’t discussing world affairs or the privileges of living in a democracy. But I know that their service and sacrifice and that of virtually every person who has worn the uniform of armed forces of Australia and New Zealand since then, has been dedicated to their friends, families loved ones and to defending our countries, democracy and decency in general.

This morning as we stand here in the early light, and just over a week out from a Federal Election, it is worth celebrating our democracy and our absolute luck, privilege and thankfulness to live in a country where we determine who governs us. That we do, is due in a large part to the service and sacrifice of young Australians and New Zealanders in your Navy, Army and Air Force for the last 124 years.

It is a sad fact that only 45% of the world’s population live in democracies and the majority of these are somewhat or severely flawed. The decline is in every region of the world, with the notable exception of Western Europe. The biggest regressions are in the Middle East and Africa and Asia and Australasia, so our own region isn’t doing well.

Indeed, the global score is the lowest since the index commenced in 2006.

On this Anzac Day it is worth noting, celebrating and giving thanks, that we Australians and New Zealanders are amongst just over 6% of people in the entire world that live in what is considered a full democracy. So just 540 million of the 8.2 billion people alive today, worldwide, live in full democracies. The other full democracies are in western Europe, the Scandinavian countries, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Iceland, Uruguay and notably Taiwan. That sadly is it. 

You might not be aware, but we are also the world’s sixth oldest continuous democracy. Another reason to be thankful for the sacrifice and service of those in our armed forces over 124 years. We are indeed blessed and have much to be thankful, proud and quietly but determinedly patriotic about.

So, this morning, please reflect on what it means to serve, to sail or fly away for months and years, to leave loved ones behind and give thanks for those who fought, those who survived, those who were injured mentally and physically, those who paid the ultimate sacrifice at sea, on land and in the air.

We also consider the love, the actions and the lived experiences of families left at home in hope, fear, sorrow or perhaps joy at a return and reunion.

Thank you so very, very much for turning up this morning. It is an amazing sight to behold looking out at all of you in the early dawn. There is something uniquely antipodean and hopeful about a Dawn Service. I can tell you as an old sailor, that the people serving in your Navy, Army and Air Force today are so very appreciative of the support that you give to them and their families, of which this service this morning, is a very outward and visible sign.

As with much of the world, our history was forged in sometimes confronting and trying circumstances, but we can rejoice in this great country, and we should do so, perhaps more often, but certainly today.

This is the Anzac message that we can recommit to this morning.

Lest we Forget.

Avalon Beach RSL: Anzac Day 11am March -  Commemoration Service 2025

Palm Beach RSL Sub-Branch Members and Guests Luncheon 2025