Echoing their ancestors almost 100 years ago, parents smiled and wiped away tears as they bid good luck and farewell to their Gallipoli-bound young ones in the early hours of Monday morning.
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But the teary hugs couldn’t dampen the excitement of the 20 students and four teachers fortunate enough to attend the Anzac centenary in Turkey on April 25.
The students were selected from schools across the area to participate in the Hunter Valley District Council of RSL sub-branches Anzac Tour.
A century to the day, young people from the Hunter will carry wreaths, flags and poppies instead of rifles along the beach that claimed thousands of Australian lives.
The students will travel around the world to remember the Anzac soldiers who were often no older than themselves.
“Words can’t capture the feeling, the excitement,” Cessnock High School representative Adam Robinson said.
Adam’s great-great uncle, Donald Alexander McLeay, was killed at Gallipoli.
Addressing the students before they left on their journey, NSW RSL acting president Peter Stephenson said they would bear the Anzac spirit on their journey and when they returned.
“One of your duties, when you return from this life-changing pilgrimage, is to spread that spirit – to tell people about what you’ve seen and experienced,” he said.
Katrina Goodear, whose daughter Breanna will represent Merriwa Central School, said she was incredibly proud.
“Saying goodbye was bittersweet – exciting but sad,” she said.
“A few people donated $200 to Breanna for her spending money, but she decided to give it to the group.
“All the kids have worked so hard and done so well with their fundraising.
“I think she’ll come back with a stronger understanding of that part of our history.”
The students going to Gallopili are Samuel Guadagnini of All Saints College, St Joseph’s Campus; Georgia Filis of All Saints College, St Peter’s Campus; Adam Robsin of Cessnock High School; Ryan Magainnity of Dungog High School, Jack Olive of Francis Greenway High School; Thomas Fitness of Hunter River High School; Brayden Duigan-Teys of Hunter Valley Grammar School; Heidii Hyland of Kurri Kurri High School; Scarlett Budden of Maitland Christian School; Abby Thomson of Maitland Grossmann High School; Sarah Van Der Voort of Maitland High School; Breanna Goodear of Merriwa Central School; Hannah Onion of Mount View High School; Cody Risby of Muswellbrook High School; Kiarra Tilden of Rutherford Technology High School; Abby McDonald of Scone Grammar School; Joel Bates of Scone High School; Ebony Ford of Singleton High School: Brigid Thomas of St Catherine’s Catholic College and Lauren Wood of St Philip’s Christian College.
The chaperons are Maureen Jarvis of Dungog High School, Michelle Archer of Dungog High School, Craig Shafer of Maitland Christian School and David Welsh of Singleton High School.
