By Deanne Jeffers
A HEARTWARMING tribute to servicemen and women has been unveiled, solidifying a permanent space for remembrance and reflection at Kensington Gardens retirement village. This collaborative effort, spearheaded by residents and workshop participants, has transformed a corner into a dedicated memorial garden.
The project has been a group effort, with Kensington Gardens’ (KG) residents raising funds from the Container Deposit Scheme for the flagpole, KG management and maintenance team contributed to concreting costs and the garden, and Shepparton RSL Sub-Branch provided the plaques.
The site will stand as a monument to the ultimate sacrifice and serve as a place where residents and their families can pay their respects. The flagpole was erected in time for Anzac Day commemorations this year and is a welcome addition to the village with KG management providing a service and gunfire breakfast at Anzac Day in the years previous, reminiscent of times during the pandemic, when attending services was not possible. Now, residents will always have a place they can commemorate and reflect.
Bob Wilkie, president of the Shepparton RSL, said memorial gardens of this kind in retirement villages like KG were becoming increasingly common and commended the residents for their proactiveness.
KG village manager, Troy Van Den Berghe, said he looks forward to seeing residents and their grandchildren enjoy the space and learning about Australia’s wartime history.
“I think it’s a nice area where we can sit down and reflect, and for my generation, it’s the only way that we can say thank you for the sacrifices that all of our returned vets did all those years ago,” he said.
After speeches, residents enjoyed morning tea with representatives of KG and Shepparton RSL. KG have several residents that have served and made the village their home. As for the workshop participants’ next project – building a table for the main clubrooms.
