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Remembrance Day 2025

On Remembrance day this year, a crowd of about one hundred people braved a chilly Ballarat morning to gather at the Memorial Wall, next to the Arch of Victory, for a short service to commemorate the end of the First World War. Those honoured included one nurse and twenty-three soldiers who lost their lives within sight of the end of the War, all of whom are recognised with trees in the adjacent Avenue of Honour. The twenty-four names were called by students from Ballarat High School, each name accompanied by the tolling of a bell.  Garry Snowden, President of the Arch of Victory / Avenue of Honour Committee, told stories of some of those who served.

Those honoured included:

• eighteen year old Thomas Veal, from Ford Street in Ballarat East who enlisted in 1915, served at Gallipoli then in France, and tragically died of Spanish flu ten days before the war ended.
• the Tait brothers, Lawrence and Robert from Barkly Street, who died in different parts of the world in the last three weeks of the war.
• Sister Gertrude Munro, from Alfredton, who had served for more than two years, mostly treating infectious diseases, before she succumbed just a month before the Armistice was signed.

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Commemorative Service - August 2025

About 70 people braved a cold Ballarat winter morning on Sunday August 17th to remember those who died as a result of tragic accidents during World War 1.  Some of their stories were shared by Arch of Victory / Avenue of Honour President, Garry Snowden, like that of Otto Davies who was run over by a horse-drawn wagon and William Paisley who was killed by a lightning strike.  A number of floral tributes were laid at the foot of the Memorial Wall, adjacent to the Arch of Victory.

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Mother's Day 2025

The annual informal Mother's day service was held in the Garden of the Grieving Mother on Sunday May 11th.  A small crowd of around 60 people heard stories of mothers left behind and left floral tributes at the feet of Peter Corlett's statue of the Grieving Mother.

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Anzac Day 2025

A large crowd attended this year's Anzac Day service at the Arch of Victory in Ballarat which commemorated twenty sets of brothers who are honoured with trees in the Avenue of Honour and also remembered by street names in the nearby suburb of Lucas. As in other years, their names were called, accompanied by the tolling of a bell, giving truth to the pledge 'We will remember them'.

The soldiers honoured in this service are listed below.  For residents of Lucas who would like more information about the soldiers after whom their street is named, simply click on their names below.  

If your street is not listed, please use the Search  functionality on this website to find more information.