Community & Business
4 May, 2026
ANZAC Day service returns to Mount Tyson
Close to 200 people gathered at 8am at the Lest We Forget Memorial in Mount Tyson on Saturday for the first ANZAC Day service since 2023.
It marked 80 years since the first ANZAC Day ceremony was held in Mt. Tyson in 1946.
The day has long played an important role in the community and this year saw a service that combined speakers and performers from across generations of Mt. Tyson families.
The service was led by Fraser McIntyre who welcomed Tamara Porter to deliver the Requiem, Arabella Fulloon to read an ANZAC poem from a child’s perspective, Allan Petersen OAM to deliver the address, Jeff Brown who performed ‘And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda’, Tracy Ruhle who read an Irish Memorial Blessing, Stuart Coonan who sounded The Last Post and the Rouse on his trumpet, Dianne Kummerow who read The Ode, and concluded with Sharlene Von Hoff singing a stirring version of the Australian National Anthem.
Jasmine Perkins attended to the flag, Bill McColm served as the usher and Charlie, Pippa and Elsie Roselt distributed rosemary sprigs to those in attendance, a tradition started by Sam McKenna 18 years ago.
Kerry McIntyre, who coordinated the service said further interest in the service this year had been sparked by the search for information on the building of the current memorial.
Research found that the memorial was the vision of three men who were affectionately known as the ‘mower mob’ - Graham Riethmuller, Clive Janke and Russell Gerchow, and that the first service held at the memorial was on ANZAC Day 1981.
Whilst the search for information on the memorial found when and by whom it was built, the origin of the gun that forms part of the memorial remains unknown.
Mrs McIntyre thanked members of the local community, Mary Sullivan from History Pittsworth and Nev Cullen from the Pittsworth RSL Sub-branch for their enthusiasm and encouragement in her search for the history of the memorial.
She also thanked the members of the Pittsworth RSL for their attendance on Saturday morning at the ceremony, for bringing the restored World War II Jeep out for display and for enabling the service to be live-streamed.
People from as far afield as Brisbane, Mooloolaba, Tahiti, Gerringong and Tenterfield in New South Wales, as well as Toowoomba, joined in to view the live-stream of the service.
Following the service, morning tea was provided in the school hall with over 100 people enjoying a cup of tea or coffee with an optional nip of Bundaberg Rum provided by Garth Hamilton, MP for Groom, along with ANZAC biscuits and scones.
The hall was decorated with work by the Mt. Tyson students which showcased their extensive knowledge of ANZAC Day and its traditions.
Families of the fallen took the opportunity to place posies on the plaques at the memorial in front of the
Mt. Tyson School which honour local men who did not return from World War II, or who died following their service in Vietnam.
“Mt. Tyson and the surrounding areas form a great community and that was on display on Saturday morning with the attendance and the number of people, ranging from a few weeks old to 94 years of age, who were still enjoying the catch up over a drink well after 10.30am,” Kerry McIntyre said.
