By Callum Ludwig
Senior students from two Upper Yarra schools had the opportunity to learn more about those who have served Australia in war thanks to the Warburton RSL Sub-branch and the Yarra Junction Community Op Shop.
Warburton and Wesburn Primary School students visited the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne on Monday 25 November to learn about the sacrifices of some of Australia’s ware heroes.
Warburton RSL Sub-branch’s Wayne Morgan said the students were taken on an hour-long guided tour which taught them about the Victorian sent to Gallipoli, the building of the Shrine, the men and women who have served and more.
“It’s important as the majority of the kids don’t have a connection with military families anymore, everything they have is a lot of their great-grandfathers are the ones that were in World War II and the grandfathers, if any of them, were in the Vietnam era,” he said.
“It is very important to us and we encourage them to attend local services whether it be at Yarra Junction or Warburton and we hope to keep providing this opportunity for the students.”
The excursion is a yearly initiative, having been running for approximately eight years (excluding Covid interruptions) and started by Albert Grulke.
Warburton Primary School Principal Nathan van der Monde said he is deeply grateful to the Warburton RSL and the Yarra Junction Community Op Shop for their incredible support in making this educational trip possible.
“Their generosity allowed our students to experience firsthand the significance of the Shrine of Remembrance, which is an integral part of Victoria’s history, this partnership reflects the strength of our community and its commitment to fostering a deep appreciation of the sacrifices made for our nation and educating future generations of the Upper Yarra area,” he said.
“It is vital for students to understand the significance of the Shrine of Remembrance and the history it represents, this experience connects them to the sacrifices made by past generations for the freedoms we enjoy today,”
“The involvement of local RSL members adds a deeply personal perspective, helping students see the human stories behind historical events, it fosters a sense of respect, gratitude, and responsibility to uphold the values that these sacrifices were made to protect.”
Some of the Wesburn Primary School students who went on the excursion came together with their Principal Anne Stenhouse to answer the Star Mail’s questions and they all said Wesburn Primary School is extremely grateful to the Warburton RSL and Yarra Junction Opportunity Shop for enabling all of the senior students to attend the educational trip to the Shrine of Remembrance.
“Two of our students, Jenny and Charlie, said that they got to see some of the real artifacts of war and to learn about wars before they were even born, to see how the Shrine was made and the amazing architecture, as well as its location looking over the city of Melbourne, was very special and it helped us further to understand how important it is,” Ms Stenhouse said.
“They also got to hang out with our friends and explore the Shrine, even without the tour guides, and were able to see the eternal flame and learn of its significance, as well as learn lots of other information.”
Millwarra Primary School were also invited to attend the excursion again but were unable to this year.
Wesburn Primary School Principal Anne Stenhouse said the students believe that it is vital that they never forget the sacrifices that others have made so that we can live so freely in Australia. “Jenny and Charlie recognised the importance of this, they could not believe how many people went to war to protect our rights, or have gone overseas as peacekeepers, they found it difficult to believe how many lives were lost while others were saved,” she said.
“It was interesting to learn how people felt when their family members went off to war, the Shrine is a place that helps people remember those who were lost and it helps us understand how safe we are thanks to the people who sacrificed their lives,” Jenny and Charlie said.
“We understand that not just the soldiers sacrificed their lives but also nurses, people driving others around and even animals like horses and dogs that are sent overseas during war.”
