24/07/2026
Vale Reginald James Chard OAM
NX134343
31 October 1923 – 24 July 2026
The members of Botany RSL Sub-Branch extend our deepest condolences to Reg’s family, friends and the wider Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway community on the passing of a remarkable Australian.
Reg’s service to our nation during the Second World War was matched only by his lifelong commitment to ensuring the stories of those who served would never be forgotten. Through his tireless work with the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway, he educated and inspired generations of Australians, including many young people from Botany and the surrounding communities who had the privilege of learning from him during visits to the Walkway.
His passion for preserving the legacy of the Kokoda Campaign, his generosity in sharing his experiences, and his unwavering dedication to remembrance have left an enduring impact on our community.
On behalf of our members, we thank Reg for a lifetime of service, sacrifice and education. His legacy will continue to live on through every young person who learns the values of courage, mateship and service because of his efforts.
May he rest in peace, and may we continue to honour his legacy by ensuring the stories of his generation are never forgotten.
Lest We Forget.
REGINALD JAMES CHARD
NX134343
31 October 1923 - 24 July 2026
With a sense of enormous loss we pay tribute to Reg Chard OAM, one of the central characters at the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway, who died peacefully this morning at Campbelltown Hospital, aged 102.
Reg had not been well and had been in and out of hospital for the past few months, but never allowed his age and illness to diminish his enthusiasm for news of what was happening at the Walkway.
Many tributes for Reg will flow from the wider community. We will always remember him as a man who overcame his grief at losing his lifelong partner Betty by devoting his energies to ensuring his generation's courage and sacrifice in WWII would be honoured always by the generations of Australians to follow.
Well done Reg - a life of service comes to an end but your legacy is all around us at the Walkway. RIP.