Sunbury RSL, residents association push for avenue of honour at Village Green

SUNBURY’S RSL branch will push for an avenue of honour to salute Australian war efforts.

Peter Free, Deb Williams, Graeme Williams and Wendy Walters want an avenue of honour in Sunbury at the Village Green. Picture: Rob Leeson

SUNBURY’S RSL branch will push for an avenue of honour to salute Australian war efforts.

The project, which the club will develop in collaboration with the Sunbury Residents Association, will be submitted as part of the State Government’s Pick My Project process.

Sub-branch president Graeme Williams said members had long wanted to establish an avenue of honour in Sunbury.

Rather than waiting for trees to grow, the avenue would be built around a series of markers detailing the major Australian campaigns.

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“We would like to put some plaques in place either side of the centre of the Village Green,” Mr Williams said.

“Each plaque would commemorate a conflict and the idea is it would complement our Lone Pine and memorial garden.”

Mr Williams said the club had supported a previous plan for an avenue of honour along Vineyard Rd which didn’t win VicRoads’ backing.

“We just feel outside the cemeteries, this is a symbol of the sacrifice that Australians have made in war and it would help educate young people,” he said.

Residents association president Peter Free said both his group and the Sunbury Historical and Heritage Society felt the project had merit, with no avenue of honour ever established in the town.

“People in Sunbury have really got behind Anzac Day and we think it is just another way to weave that history into that area around the RSL,” he said.

Goonawarra Neighbourhood House is also planning to submit a Pick My Project idea to support the I Love Goonawarra Festival.

Sunbury Community Health held a public discussion last Monday with supporters of six more potential projects.

The centre’s building healthier communities manager Bernadette Hetherington said the session had been valuable.

“There were six projects talked about and while a few needed more fleshing out or may not meet the criteria, there was some real merit to them and we think we’ll see them get up in some form or another in time,” she said.

Pick My Project funding applications are due by June 24. Projects will be voted on and those successful will receive State Government support of between $20,000 and $200,000.

CLICK HERE for more on Pick My Project.