The Camp Hill State Infants and Primary School, (previously the Camp Hill Primary School and Camp Hill Infants School), has a strong commitment to supporting the acknowledgement of ANZAC Day within our community.
The school has taken an active part in the annual ceremony, held on ANZAC Day, (which involves a public march and ceremony) for many decades.
In 1981 the Camp Hill-Belmont RSL constructed a Memorial (in the native tree area immediately adjacent to the handball courts on the senior campus) to commemorate the Men and Women who did not return from Active Service. The members of the RSL, at that time, reported that the Memorial would provide a ‘fitting nucleus for the annual Memorial Service’.
With the passing of the years, the membership of the Camp Hill-Belmont RSL diminished in numbers. A decision was made to approach the school (Camp Hill State School at that stage) to hand over the formal ceremony. The school undertook, with great pride, a commitment to the members that we would conduct the ANZAC ceremony each year with pride and due diligence.
Since that time (nearly 20 years) the school has conducted the full ceremony, including the March up Old Cleveland Road for our local community followed by a ceremony on the Senior Campus. Attendance at the ceremony grows each year, acknowledging community engagement with this Australian tradition. In 2016 one of the last members of the Camp Hill-Belmont RSL committee, Mr Bill Hewitt MLA, died. A final link with the past has gone, but the commitment lives on with each generation.
The ceremony is held each ANZAC Day (25 April) and follows the traditional format that the school was provided with all those years ago. The traditional ceremony contains prayers, including those for the Fallen and for Peace and wreath laying by local officials, students and other members of the public. The morning includes a hymn (‘Abide with Me”) which holds much significance for members of the air force, army and navy, as well as a morning tea which is hosted by our school P&C.
Each year the school invites our students and their families, returned service men and women (and their families), local schools, cadets, Girl Guides and Scouts, community groups and representatives from our community to the ANZAC ceremony.
As the ceremony is held on the public holiday it is NOT compulsory to attend.
