By Callum Ludwig
Tuesday 2 May marked a special day at Seville Primary School as they unveiled a plaque memorialising three former students who served the country in war and died during or shortly after.
Bruce Bethune, Jack Drummond and Ken Berry have now been immortalised on the school grounds, a permanent replacement for three Cypress trees planted in their honour that were inadvertently removed.
Principal Chris Dossor said the school has over 100 years history and context to bring to the forefront and let students know about.
“It’s not something on a piece of paper, something the teacher is reading in front of them, a video that they saw, there’s a connection in the conversations that our three readers today were having with the family of those fallen, it was real for them,” he said.
“It paints a wider, broader picture for them and it’s conversations that we continue to have in class, it really tells the story, tells a narrative for them.”
Seville Primary School received a $1000 grant from the State Government’s 2022/23 round of the Victoria Remembers program to create the plaque, which was largely organised by the parents in the school council.
Mr Dossor said the students were intrigued before the unveiling, wanting to discuss it and know what was happening.
“Now when we are having conversations in class about World Wars, about the ANZACs, about our history, we only have to walk 10 feet away and there’s a story there for us to be able to connect with, which is really good,” he said.
“Prior to the school holidays, we had discussions in class. There were some inquiry modules that we looked at with our Grade 5s and 6s, connected to our understanding of the ANZACs and how important it is with our younger students.”
Family members of each of the three honoured servicemen were in attendance and shared details and expanded on their stories:
Bruce Bethune’s nephews Alistair and Ian and niece Helen,
Jack Drummond’s nephew Ian Drummond,
Kate Lewis, whose father was the cousin of Ken Berry.
Private Bruce Bethune died on 14 October 1943 while serving in the 24th Australian Infantry Battalion in Papua New Guinea, aged 27 and is buried in the Lae War Cemetery in Papua New Guinea. For a number of reasons, his family has never been able to visit his grave.
Major Jack Drummond served with the Australian Army Ordnance Corps in Papua New Guinea and died aged 27 due to cancer on 30 July 1945 having had to leave the war due to his illness. He is buried in Springvale Cemetery.
Flight Lieutenant Ken Berry served as part of the 36 Squadron of the Royal Australia Air Force (RAAF) and died aged 37 on 7 March 1947. He is buried in the Euroa Cemetery.
Mr Dossor said the plaque will be a small reminder of how important it is to remember.
“Every person, every area, every community has that connection in there and while it did happen many years ago now, it doesn’t mean that power, what our people went through, what our community went through, wasn’t real and doesn’t have an ongoing impact.”
“I think the memorial will keep giving it that relevance, giving it that power and let students know that we have contributed.”
