ANZAC 2002

COMMEMORATIVE TOUR

The Anzac 2002 Commemorative Tour was stage 2 of Mackay North High’s very successful Lest We Forget Project, which aims to provide students with practical historical and commemorative experiences as well as contributing to the heritage of the Mackay and District community.

Anzac 2002 involved 23 senior students who researched
the contributions made by local men to World War One. Also,
these students undertook a study into how Australians
and people of other countries commemorate Anzac Day.

The central feature of these studies was a research and
commemorative tour to Gallipoli for Anzac Day, 2002. The
tour then moved on to northern France to coincide with
Anzac Day commemorations at the Australian National Memorial.

As with the previous Lest We Forget tour, students
located, commemorated and photographed the graves and
memorial names of local ancestors killed in the war.
These were presented to each family at a special presentation evening on the group's return.

As well, the students have documented the tour in a self published book entitled "Lesson of a Lifetime".
The book provides a first hand account of the Anzac Cove Dawn Service and
the French Anzac Day commemorations. Their research, information
and stories will also be added to this website.

As with the first tour of the project, Anzac 2002 was an important
educational and community service undertaking that benefitted
a broad range of people. The students have showed a great deal of commitment to the
project and were successful in further perpetuating the memory of those of past
generations who sacrificed their lives for the freedom they enjoy today.