Kearsley Community Dawn Service Committee

Kearsley Community Dawn Service Committee Preserving the military history of Kearsley, Abernethy and Elrington.

21/08/2026

This week Dale Goldie OAM’s lifetime of service was honoured in Parliament House Canberra by Dan Repacholi MP.

Dale’s legacy will live on.

Today we commemorate Vietnam Veterans' Day on the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan.We remember the sacrifices ...
17/08/2026

Today we commemorate Vietnam Veterans' Day on the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan.

We remember the sacrifices of those who died and say thank you to almost 60,000 Australians who served during the 10 years of our involvement in the Vietnam War.

Those who served include locals:

- Leading Seaman Cecil Hill of Kearsley who served with the Royal Australian Navy
- Corporal Robert Trenholme of Kearsley who served with the Royal Australian Air Force
- Lance Corporal Llewellyn Conserdyne of Kearsley who served with the Australian Army
- Private Barry Allsop of Kearsley who served with the Australian Army
- Warrant Officer Arthur Francis CSC OAM of Kearsley who served with the Australian Army
- Warrant Officer Class One Charles Edward Dawson of Abernethy who served with the Australian Army

As we commemorate Vietnam Veterans' Day, we also pause to thank the six local men who served our nation with distinction during the conflict.

This weekend marks the 81st anniversary of Victory in the Pacific, the day the World War II finally ended.From the villa...
15/08/2026

This weekend marks the 81st anniversary of Victory in the Pacific, the day the World War II finally ended.

From the villages of Kearsley, Abernethy and Elrington, more than 110 men and women served fighting campaigns against Germany and Italy in Europe, the Mediterranean and North Africa, and against Japan in south-east Asia and the Pacific.

Tragically, three made the ultimate sacrifice.

Today, we honour them all, including 13 whose wartime portraits are shared here.

We remember their courage, their service, and the families forever changed by the war. On this day of triumph and reflection, we give thanks for the peace they helped secure and acknowledge the great cost at which it came.

Lest we forget.

Kearsley will never forget you, Dale Goldie OAM.Rest easy.
29/07/2026

Kearsley will never forget you, Dale Goldie OAM.

Rest easy.

Thank you for everything you gave to our community, Dale.Kearsley won’t be the same without you.Rest easy, old friend.
27/07/2026

Thank you for everything you gave to our community, Dale.

Kearsley won’t be the same without you.

Rest easy, old friend.

For many years, Dale Goldie OAM dreamed of standing where the World War I service personnel from our villages had fought...
26/07/2026

For many years, Dale Goldie OAM dreamed of standing where the World War I service personnel from our villages had fought, fallen and were laid to rest.

That dream became a reality in 2016, during the Centenary of Anzac, when Dale and his daughter, Natalie Riddle, travelled through France, Belgium and England to honour those from Kearsley, Abernethy and Elrington who had answered the call to duty.

At Fromelles, Dale paid his respects at the grave of Private Matthew Hepple, who was killed in action during the Battle of Fromelles in July 1916. Standing at the grave was a way of ensuring our community remembered Private Hepple’s sacrifice.

The warmth and generosity shown by the people of Fromelles left a lasting impression on Dale. On Remembrance Day, he laid a wreath on behalf of our Committee before joining local families for lunch in the village hall. Stories were shared, friendships were formed and Dale’s digger’s sheepskin vest became quite the conversation starter. Those friendships endured long after the journey, with Dale keeping in regular contact with Pierre and Thérèse from Fromelles, exchanging messages every Anzac Day and Christmas.

Such was the respect the locals had for Dale that the curator of the Fromelles Museum opened the museum especially for a private tour after it had closed to the public. Before he left, local residents presented him with a collection of bullets and shell casings recovered from the surrounding farmland. Dale treasured these gifts as a physical connection to the very ground where men from Kearsley, Abernethy and Elrington had made the ultimate sacrifice.

In Belgium, Dale visited Tyne Cot Cemetery, where he stood at the grave of Captain Clarence Jeffries VC, who was killed during the Battle of Passchendaele in October 1917. Another unforgettable moment came at the Menin Gate in Ypres, where Dale laid a wreath on behalf of our community during The Last Post Ceremony, an honour he never forgot.

The journey also took Dale to Polygon Wood, Pozières and London during Remembrance Day weekend.

These photographs capture what was the trip of a lifetime for Dale. It was more than a holiday. It was a pilgrimage to honour the service and sacrifice of those from our community and to ensure their stories would never be forgotten.

Over the past 16 years, Dale Goldie OAM welcomed many distinguished Australians to Kearsley.From NSW Governors and Minis...
25/07/2026

Over the past 16 years, Dale Goldie OAM welcomed many distinguished Australians to Kearsley.

From NSW Governors and Ministers to even a Premier, Dale took great pride in sharing the stories of service, courage and sacrifice of the men and women from our community who answered the call to duty.

It meant a great deal to Dale that these leaders visited our Remembrance Garden to pay their respects. To him, their attendance sent a powerful message, that the service of our local men and women mattered and that their sacrifice deserved to be recognised at every level.

These pictures capture just some of the special guests Dale welcomed to Kearsley. Their visits reflected Dale’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that those who served would never be forgotten.

Having been friends at primary school, Dale Goldie OAM and Richard Gibson later joined forces to ensure that the service...
24/07/2026

Having been friends at primary school, Dale Goldie OAM and Richard Gibson later joined forces to ensure that the service personnel from the villages of Kearsley, Abernethy and Elrington would be honoured by the communities they had called home.

Their shared passion for honouring our service men and women made planning our commemorative activities both rewarding and enjoyable. They complemented each other perfectly and, together, achieved so much for our community.

This photograph captures Dale and Richard discussing plans for the 2022 commemorative services while enjoying a brown lemonade - an essential part of any visit to Dale's place.

The Remembrance Garden that Dale Goldie OAM established and lovingly cared for over the past 16 years stands as a lastin...
23/07/2026

The Remembrance Garden that Dale Goldie OAM established and lovingly cared for over the past 16 years stands as a lasting tribute to the more than 170 service men and women from our community who answered the call to duty.

From the time it was established in 2010, there were few days when Dale didn't stop by. Whether mowing the lawns, tending the gardens, polishing the commemorative plaques or pausing for a moment of quiet reflection, the Remembrance Garden was always at the front of his mind.

With its six Benches of Remembrance, the Garden became like a second home to Dale. A place where he found a deep connection to those whose stories he worked so tirelessly to preserve.

These photographs capture Dale in his element.

The first was taken on the afternoon before Anzac Day this year, as he quietly reflected on the sacrifices of Lance Corporal Jack Fitzgibbon and Lance Corporal Tulsa Rumney. Their commemorative plaques were unveiled during our Dawn Service the following morning.

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22 Allandale Street
Kearsley, NSW
2325

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