Coomera QCWA Anzac Day Dawn Service: New location proposed
A new location has been proposed to resolve a bitter row over a decision to end an Anzac Day Dawn Service in a northern Gold Coast community. Read the full details.
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A compromise has been proposed to end a bitter row over an Anzac Day ceremony in a northern Gold Coast community.
Residents reacted with anger after it was announced on Anzac Day that this year’s Dawn Service at the Coomera Queensland Country Women Association (QCWA) Memorial Hall in Maudsland would be the last to take place.
Veteran Geoff Benson, who organised the service, said he had been told by the QCWA that there were “too many people coming”, making it “dangerous on the road” – claims he rejected.
A petition to allow the service to continue at the location has been signed by almost 3000 people, however Theodore MP Mark Boothman said it had failed to convince the QCWA to reverse its decision.
Mr Boothman, with the support of councillors Naomi Fowler and Peter Young, has now put forward a proposal to move the ceremony to Cliff Bird Park – a parcel of land at the corner of Guanaba Creek Rd and Maudsland Rd owned by the Department of Natural Resources.
On Tuesday, Mr Boothman wrote to Minister Scott Stewart requesting the department’s support to relocate the Dawn Service to the new location.
Mr Stewart on Wednesday signalled he was in favour, telling the Bulletin the land was for community use and council should be able to hold services at the location.
“For the last 17 years, local veteran Geoffrey Benson has hosted an Anzac Day Dawn Service on the land beside the Coomera Queensland Country Women Association Hall on Maudsland Rd Oxenford. The service has slowly grown in numbers over the years, and it is estimated that approximately 700 residents of all ages attended this years’ service to pay their respects. The Helensvale Lions Club has also worked tirelessly with Mr Benson providing the required support to ensure the Anzac Day commemoration runs smoothly,” Mr Boothman wrote.
“However, to the surprise of the local community, Mr Benson announced during the last Anzac service that the QCWA will no longer permit any further Anzac Day Dawn Services next to the Coomera QCWA Hall, which has saddened and angered many residents. The site also holds special significance as a pine tree planted by the family of Trooper David Ronald Pearce, 2/14 Light Horse Regiment adds a sombre reminder of the gravity of the event. Trooper Pearce, a local to the area, was killed while deployed in the Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan, in 2007.
“The local community, including many community leaders, have tried in vain to convince the Coomera QCWA to reconsider their decision and allow the Dawn Service to continue.
“ ... Therefore, as a pathway forward, Geoffrey Benson, Gold Coast City councillors Naomi Fowler, Peter Young, and I have been trying to find a solution to allow future Dawn Services to continue in the Coomera River Valley. We have identified a potential suitable site at the corner of Guanaba Creek Rd and Maudsland Rd Maudsland known as Cliff Bird Park.
“ ... I respectfully ask the Department of Natural Resources to work with the Gold Coast Council to relocate the annual Anzac Day Service to the location identified above.”
Mr Boothman said the 3.24ha site would be a suitable location because it would be visible to passing motorists and big enough to host the ceremony.
“Cliff Bird Park is owned by the Department of Natural Resources but managed by the Gold Coast City Council,” he said.
“As time is limited due to the many months of planning needed to organise community events, we are trying to expedite a solution, which includes the Gold Coast City Council building a memorial at Cliff Bird Park and continuing the much-revered tradition of an Anzac Dawn Service in the Coomera Valley.”
Mr Stewart told the Bulletin he saw no issue with services taking place at the location.
“I’ve asked the Department of Resources to contact Gold Coast City Council about this,” he said.
“The land is for community use and the council should be able to go ahead with an Anzac Day service on the land they manage if they and the community wish to.”
The controversy is the second to affect Anzac Day ceremonies in the area. The historic cenotaph at the junction of Tamborine Oxenford Rd and Charlies Crossing Rd, which was erected in 1918, will soon be moved to a new location at Tallowwood Park in Rose Valley Drive to make way for a road upgrade.
The cenotaph is the location for a march and midmorning service organised by the Rotary Club of Coomera Valley which attracts crowds of thousands on Anzac Day each year.
The service will take place at the new location for the first time next year.
Originally published as Coomera QCWA Anzac Day Dawn Service: New location proposed
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