Lest We Forget: School’s incredible tribute to our fallen

Hundreds of students help make touching tribute to servicemen and women a reality

BEAUTIFUL TRIBUTE: Crescent Lagoon students Jayden Te Kahn, Riley Nilon and Ryley Douglas in the remembrance garden which is nearing completion at the Rockhampton school. Picture: Allan Reinikka.

STUDENTS at Crescent Lagoon now have a lasting reminder of the sacrifice made by our servicemen and women.

A remembrance garden is taking shape on the North St frontage of the Rockhampton primary school.

Two 1.2m high cast iron soldiers stand guard at either side of the three flagpoles, while Australian natives have been planted as a backdrop.

The centrepiece is a custom-made bench seat which, when the sun hits it, casts the words “Lest We Forget” in a shadow on the cement slab on which it stands.

The idea for the garden was floated several years ago but it was 12 months ago that a plan was formulated.

Teachers Julie Layt and Louise Quirk and schools officer Barry Callaghan were the driving forces behind the project.

The seat in the Crescent Lagoon State School's remembrance garden which spells out the words, Lest We Forget.

The 400-plus students played a major part by raising funds through a colour run held last year.

Two businesses, Rockhampton Mini Mix Concrete and SNB Concreting, also lent their support.

Ms Layt said Crescent Lagoon was an RSL Community Link school and was aligned with the 31st/42nd Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment, which drew personnel from central and northern Queensland.

The remembrance garden at Crescent Lagoon State School.

“We represent over 100 soldiers from that battalion and we wear special badges to remember individual soldiers,” she said.

“The remembrance garden is something that we’ve always wanted to recognise our veterans.

“It’s beautiful and it makes us all so proud.

“It’s a work in progress. We’ve still got a large boulder to come with a plaque to acknowledge the battalion.”

Ms Layt said the garden was placed in a prominent position so students would see it regularly.

The school could not have its regular Anzac Day service due to COVID-19 restrictions but it did recognise the solemn occasion.

The students who were at school on Friday stood to attention around the garden as teacher Michael Johnston, as he does every Anzac Day, played The Last Post on his trumpet.