March 4th, 2021 Commemorative Service
After 2020, a rather tumultuous year in which we were fortunate to commemorate those brave men who served on HMAS Yarra II, we have had to come to a difficult decision.
Chovid 19 has caused chaos and uncertainty, especially when it comes to public gatherings, and our association has not been immune.
Paramount in our minds must be the safety of us all and so the decision has been made to cancel this year’s commemorative service.
In lieu of this cancellation we invite you not only to remember the brave men of HMAS YARRA II, but relive through video, the life of the Memorial.
Please remember that the HMAS Yarra Memorial is a not for profit organisations that relies on donations. All donation will be gratefully received and can be forwarded to the Coordinator.
LEST WE FORGET
Navy League of Australia Vic-Tas Division March 2018 NEWSLETTER
75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SINKING OF THE HMAS YARRA II 4.3.1942 – 4.3.2017
An extract from “Naval Commemoration Committee of Victoria Rogues Yarn March 2017”.
A Memorial Service to remember the 75th anniversary of the sinking of HMAS Yarra II in a heroic battle against an overwhelming Japanese force of three heavy cruisers and two destroyers.
The Passing of Angus Walsh
It is with great regret that I have to inform everyone that our beloved founder of the memorial sadly passed away on the 1.1.2016, one day shy of his 91st birthday. Angus Walsh was well known to everyone for his tireless work in getting the memorial up and built and has been a constant supporter to everyone who came his way with advise, love and sincere friendship. There is nothing I can say to anyone who knew him to stop them from feeling very saddened by this news and I know he will be remembered with sincere fondness by many, many people and that is how he would want it to be. We send our sincere condolences to his lovely wife Mena and respective families.
Chris Hirchfield. Coordinator
MEMORIAL SERVICE, LOSS OF HMAS YARRA II 6th MARCH 2016
HMAS Yarra National Memorial, Melbourne
The annual memorial service was held in beautiful sunshine with a refreshing breeze off the river on Sunday 6 March 2016 at 11am. Around 100 descendants attended and music was provided as in previous years by the Hyde Street Youth Band. Marty Grogan kindly provided a painting of HMAS Yarra II for the service. It was painted by one of the sailors on that ship, which of course had special significance today.
An introduction by Christine Hirchfield, Honorary National Memorial Coordinator, was followed by addresses from Councilor Paul Morgan, Hobson’s Bay City Council, Reverend Andrew Knight and Kathy Roberts, Rotary Club of Williamstown. The Recruit School from HMAS Cerberus and TS Voyager Cadets were represented. Able Seaman Dorian Broomhall, Bugler, played the Last Post and Reveille.
Reverend Andrew Knight has taken over from Reverend Brooker and he gave a very moving talk which touched the hearts of the attendees. It would be easy to take vengeance because of the tragedy of all the HMAS Yarra II deaths and the consequent suffering of all the families involved. But this pleasure belongs to God, not man. He likened Christ’s unfair death on the cross to the unfair deaths of all those mariners and asked us to reflect on whether we could see hope for the future out of this awful tragedy, overcoming evil with good.
Kathy Roberts gave a fascinating speech, outlining how the Memorial had come about. Dr Roland Goldberg OAM who died in 2015, was a local dentist who had served in Rotary for 30 years. He was highly influential in starting off the Williamstown Memorial. In conjunction with Rotary, he negotiated for the preferred site with three different authorities and finally permission was given in writing to construct the memorial. Smorgon’s provided the steel reinforcing. Local army engineers offered to help prepare the site. Boral supplied the concrete and Swinburne College built the mosaic ship’s crest of the Kookaburra. The local yacht club provided the flagpole. Plans were drawn up and the memorial was transformed over three weekends. The Rotary Club of Williamstown, together with the Hobson’s Bay City Council, maintains the memorial and repairs the ongoing vandalism. A park bench and memorial plaque was unveiled in memory of Dr Goldberg and his contribution during the service.
The Last Post & Reveille gave people time to reflect. This was followed by the Australian National Anthem and floral tributes scattered on the Yarra River. Rotary Williamstown kindly provided the very welcome marquees, sausage sizzle and refreshments.
