Honouring ANZACs with community

Lutheran schools across the LCANZ have joined with their local communities and RSLs on ANZAC Day to honour those who have served in the defence forces, and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice by giving their lives.

Across Australia, students have taken part in dawn services, marches and school commemorations, learning the enduring values of courage, mateship and service.

At Immanuel Lutheran Primary School, Gawler, in South Australia, Deputy Principal Steve McLoughlin said ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day hold ‘significant value’ for the school. School captains Jonah and Peyton represented Immanuel at the ANZAC Day dawn service and laid a wreath, with Mr McLoughlin also attending. He noted the honour was especially meaningful for Peyton, who has family members serving in the defence forces.

Despite heavy rain, students and staff from St Paul’s Lutheran Primary School and Kindergarten, Caboolture, in Queensland, joined the Caboolture ANZAC march, with school captains invited to lay a wreath at the main service in recognition of the sacrifice and service of defence personnel.

Also in Queensland, the community of Concordia Lutheran College Toowoomba gathered for an ANZAC commemoration marked by prayer, remembrance and respect, encouraging students to reflect with gratitude on the freedoms they enjoy today.

On the same state’s Sunshine Coast, junior and senior chapel services at Pacific Lutheran College at Meridan Plains included readings, music, the ‘Ode of Remembrance’, wreath-laying and a period of silence. The college also welcomed Colonel Scott Jamieson and Major (Retd) Nicholas Andrew to speak about sacrifice, service and honour, ahead of the Caloundra RSL ANZAC Day march.

To the north on the Sunshine Coast, at Good Shepherd Lutheran College, Noosaville, the community stood together at dawn in Tewantin to remember those who served and sacrificed.

Meanwhile, in Victoria, at Good Shepherd College, Hamilton, a student-led service featured an ANZAC story, prayers and reflection, and a performance of the Eric Bogle song ‘And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda’. Students also represented the college at local town services.

In Victoria’s northwest, students, staff and families from Trinity Lutheran College, at Mildura, gathered on 24 April for a commemorative service, pausing to honour the ANZAC spirit and reflect on mateship, resilience and respect.

While at Jindera in New South Wales, St John’s Lutheran School hosted the town’s ANZAC Day ceremony at the Jindera War Memorial, with captains and vice-captains laying school wreaths, including one made by Year 5–6 students. Army veteran and community member Mr Damien Perdon spoke about the ANZAC spirit of mateship in difficult circumstances.

In the Adelaide Hills town of Hahndorf, St Michael’s Lutheran School captains Grace and Harris represented the school at the local service, reading a poem and laying a wreath in remembrance, while in suburban Adelaide, Golden Grove Lutheran Primary School captains Ellie and Nick laid a wreath at the Tea Tree Gully RSL dawn service, as the community gave thanks for the courage and selflessness of those who served.

In the state’s south-east, at Mount Gambier, St Martins Lutheran College student leaders represented the college and wider community, with Year 12 captains attending a dawn service and Year 6 captains representing the college at a mid-morning service.

Other Lutheran schools, including Faith Lutheran College at Plainland, Queensland, and Living Waters Lutheran College in Western Australia, also marked ANZAC Day in their communities. In the Northern Territory, Good Shepherd Lutheran College held a student-led service and had student leaders lay wreaths at dawn services across Darwin.

Lest we forget.