General News
24 April, 2026
NextGen honour local service
Maryborough Rotary’s NextGen have placed over 600 flags on the graves of local service people for Anzac Day.
By Anzac Day tomorrow, over 600 flags will be placed on local graves of ex-service men and women, thanks to a major project by Maryborough Rotary’s NextGen faction.
For their first project since NextGen’s formation, the dedicated group of volunteers has been working in collaboration with the Maryborough and Carisbrook cemetery trusts to honour all men and women who have served Australia.
This not only encompasses those in World War I or II, but all veterans, whether they were deployed overseas or stayed within Australia.
For Maryborough Rotary’s Gary Higgins, the project has ignited conversations among community members to preserve their ancestor’s memory.
“The whole idea of the project, from the NextGen’s point of view, is it’s an intergenerational project. So, it’s trying to make sure generations that are coming are reminded that the reason why they have got what they have got today is because of the sacrifice these people made,” he said.
Mr Higgins said the project has uncovered names and information behind many of the ex-service personnel that participants were otherwise unaware of.
“You walk in front of a grave and think ‘oh I know that bloke, I didn’t know he or she served’. We put all of our flags out on Sunday and somebody said ‘I wonder what that grave is there?’ I went up and had a read of it, it said W.W. Bell, died in February 1945, and he was the recipient of the military medal,” he said.
“The last surviving member of the World War I campaign is buried here in Maryborough, Jack Ross. He was 110 when he died.
“The other one of note to mention is Edmund Herring, he was born in Maryborough, educated here, became Lieutenant Governor, and now he is buried here ... and we forget about them.”
Overall, around 30 volunteers will have placed about 640 flags at the Maryborough and Carisbrook cemeteries, an effort Maryborough Rotary’s Anthony Ohlsen said was deeply compelling.
“It’s emotional, knowing that a person, then collectively the number of people, who have decided for whatever reason to be service people,” he said.
“What we have done is also recognised people who didn’t go overseas but were service people. We had plane spotters here, we used to have a little tower, we recognise those people as well.”
“What we don’t know is there would probably be a number of nurses who helped but haven’t been recognised, those are the people we are still looking for.”
Members of the community who wish to have their family remembered in this way must complete a form available at Rotary Club’s Facebook page, the Maryborough Regional Library, or at mbrotarynextgen@gmail.com
“History is marching by, and yet we have got history here. We don’t recognise it,” Mr Ohlsen said.
“And it’s about recognising what people have done to help us and our future generation going forward.”
Maryborough’s NextGen Rotary faction will continue the project at Carisbrook Cemetery at 3 pm today to complete flag placements at each grave known to belong to ex-service personnel.