Tuesday, 7 May 2024

Anzac Day

Jade BENHAM (Mildura) (14:18): Over the week of Anzac Day I travelled to France to represent my electorate and my hometown of Robinvale in Villers-Bretonneux for the 40th anniversary celebration of the twinning of the two towns. In 1984 after a visit to the French battlefields by Alan Wood, who was then the member for Swan Hill, the towns of Villers-Bretonneux and Robinvale were twinned. In 1984, 18 people made the trip to formalise the connection. This year I was one of five, including me, Stuart King of Swan Hill Rural City Council and Ryan McClure representing the Robinvale Villers-Bretonneux Association. It was an honour and a privilege to accept the invitation from the Australian ambassador to France Gillian Bird PSM to attend the dawn service at the Sir John Monash centre and the Anzac Day services in Bullecourt as well as lay a wreath at the French town’s service. The Anzac day AFL match between France and Australia was a magnificent event, even if Australia did lose for the second year in a row.

We were also part of the inauguration of the world map at Robinvale Place in the beautiful little village where we were made to feel like long-lost family. Thank you so much to Mayor Dinouard, Feirou Hamdane council CEO, councillors Danielle, Isabel and Andre, Marie-Paul for exceptional translation skills, Xavier and the ABA for all the hard work they do, Sylvane and the Franco-Australien Association and Ian Boyd and the Villers-Bretonneux Association in Robinvale for all the work they do to keep the relationship thriving. It was four days I will never forget, and I cannot wait to welcome you to our town over the next year and beyond.