Sea of white crosses as Anzac Day glory returns to Logan
A sea of white crosses will mark a return to the glory of ANZAC Day Dawn Services in Logan, where the RSL shut two years ago.
Logan
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The ANZAC Day Dawn Service will return to its former glory in Logan this year, two years after the local RSL sub-branch was closed and the event canned leaving parts of the city with no service.
But that was not going to stop Logan historian Mic Noble from staging one of the state’s most extensive ANZAC Day tributes this year.
Led by the youngest World War II veteran in Logan, Jack Ruxton, the ANZAC Day Dawn Service and March will be reinstated with Mr Noble’s elaborate display of white crosses covering the ground around the cenotaph.
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Mr Noble, Logan’s best known and loved historian, created the startling display of white crosses to immortalise 300 Logan Diggers whose names were inscribed on a plaque found at the now defunct Logan and District RSL sub-branch.
The plaque was one of the items Mr Noble rescued from the RSL when it closed at Logan Central in October 2019.
A devastating brain cancer diagnosis two months ago almost derailed his grand plans to stage the city’s biggest and best ANZAC Day service.
But despite the crushing health blow, Mr Noble forged ahead to bring to life the display which also includes Logan historical memorabilia as part of a poignant tribute to immortalise the 300 named Diggers from the area.
Each cross has the name of men who served in World War I from the Logan and Albert 9th Infantry battalion.
The display also includes four rare uniforms from the Australian Army, navy, air force and nursing fraternity.
A sandbag wall featured in the movie Danger Close shot at the Gold Coast and donated by local Greg Amey will also be on display.
Two replica wooden machine guns will be inside the sandbag enclosure for people to take photos along with replica wooden 303s, and 105mm cannon shells.
Mr Noble’s steely determination was enforced after the death of his friend and mentor Uncle Reg Knox.
Uncle Reg was named Australian Aboriginal Male Elder of The Year in 2009 mainly for the part he played representing Logan indigenous who served in WWII.
He also helped set up the Prisoner of War exhibition at Kingston Butter Factory Museum.
Ironically, Uncle Reg died days before ANZAC Day last year and just after the lifelong friends made a pact to breathe life back into Logan’s flagging ANZAC Day services forever.
The pair, shocked and saddened by the snap closure of the Logan and District RSL sub-branch, vowed not to forget the war efforts of Logan’s veterans and their families and decided on the elaborate crosses display.
Without Uncle Reg, Mr Noble called on help from a number of areas including the Scouts, Greenbank RSL, Logan City Council and Mens Shed who helped built all the crosses and a large Lest We Forget sign.
The Woodridge Scout Group played a major role in helping to set up the massive display which takes up a large slice of the ANZAC cenotaph area next to Logan City Council.
“There is no way I could put this display on without the help of all these different community and cultural groups,” Mr Noble said.
“This display has never been seen before and is only for the dawn service, and is a great tribute to all those Diggers and Uncle Reg.”
Mr Noble had to call on the help of some Logan knitters and the sewing community to help make more than 200 poppies to tie to the crosses.
When he started running short of the poppies, Logan organisation Mission Possible knitted 150 poppies and women from Queen Beez at Logan East Community Centre also produced another 120 poppies.
Historian at Logan Central Library Hilda Maclean also donated to the historical display which grew with photographs and medals from Marsden Library.
Aussie Digger Militaria will also be on display, bringing another part of Logan’s history to the public for the first time.
Mr Noble’s niece, Beth Lloyd, brought the uniforms up to scratch and Greenbank RSL Sub-branch donated a nurse’s uniform for the day.
It will be a return to ceremony for members of the 28th Maori Battalion, who usually march in Woodridge but have had no event since 2019.
WHERE TO GO ON ANZAC DAY IN LOGAN
The Dawn Service is at the Logan Central Cenotaph on the corner of Wembley Rd and Jacaranda Ave at 5.30am.
The March will marshall at Logan Central Plaza for 8.15am and will kick off at 8.30am.
Ex-servicemen and women, local schools and community groups will be in the march.
The Diggers Services Club Dawn Service will still be held at 5.20am.
OTHER SERVICES
BEENLEIGH RSL
Beenleigh War Memorial, Cnr Crete and James St, Beenleigh.
5.30am: Dawn Service
10am: March Form Up
10.30am Service March: Cnr Kokoda St and York St, Beenleigh.
11am Commemorative Service, Beenleigh War Memorial, Cnr Crete and James St, Beenleigh.
GREENBANK RSL
Southern Carpark Adjacent to Memorial Gardens, Cnr Corporate Pl and Anzac Ave, Hillcrest.
5.30am Dawn Service,
10.30am Main Service
BEENLEIGH HISTORIC VILLAGE
Spirit of the Red Sands
205 Main St Beenleigh
5pm-5.45pm: Spirit of the Red Sands Twilight ANZAC Event
(Event starts earlier, but the ANZAC event is from 5pm – 5.45pm)
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