Mayoral visit to historic Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney
Monsieur Hubert Huchette, Mayor of Fromelles, accompanied by his wife Mme Therese Huchette visited Sydney with Monsieur Martial Delebarre OAM, President of the Fromelles Weppes Territoriale Memoriale following the unveiling of the “Cobbers” Statue at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne on 19 July .
Monsieur Claude Annonier, Deputy Consul for France, hosted a luncheon at the historic Hyde Park Barracks Café in Macquarie Street, Sydney on Monday 28th July. Also attending was Theodore Arfaras, President, Association Des Anciens Combatants Francais , Russell Curley, President, Families and Friends of the First AIF (FFFAIF) and Alan Kitchen, FFFAIF Membership Secretary.
Mme Therese Huchette, Claude Annonier, Deputy Consul for France, Martial Delebarre OAM, President of the Fromelles Weppes Territoriale Memoriale, Consul-General’s press Secretary, Russell Curley, President Families and Friends of the First AIF, Monsieur Hubert Huchette, Mayor of Fromelles and Theodore Arfaras, President, Association Des Anciens Combatants Francais, Russell Curley, President Families and Friends of the First AIF at Hyde Park Barracks Cafe, Macquarie Street, Sydney, Monday 28th July.
[Photo by Alan Kitchen]
Prior to the luncheon, the Mayoral couple and Martial Delebarre were shown the Cenotaph in Martin Place, Sydney where the Association Des Anciens Combatants Francais have participated in the Remembrance Day service on 11 November for the past several years.
Photos: Remembrance Day 2006
A short walking tour also took them to St Stephens Church, Macquarie St. where the 30th Bn Colours are laid up (Fromelles Bn. 8th Bde) and then to St James Church opposite Hyde Park Barracks where 36th Bn colours are laid up. Following the luncheon, the guests visited historic Garden Island in Sydney Harbour, where the Royal Australian Navy has had a fleet base since 1913. Monsieur and Mme Huchette and Martial Delebarre, stayed in Sydney as guests of Bob and Gwen Cleworth of Roseville where an “Aussie” barbeque was held prior to them returning to France.
Martial Delebarre, Colin Kidd, Mme Therese Huchette, Monsieur Hubert Huchette and Neville Kidd were amongst the guests at the Cleworth’s home. [Jim Munro]
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FROMELLES IS NOT HONOURED ON THE NATIONAL OR ANY STATE MEMORIAL IN AUSTRALIA.
FFFAIF SUPPORTS ALL EFFORTS TO RECOGNISE FROMELLES ON OR AT THE NATIONAL AND ALL STATE MEMORIALS THAT PRESENTLY LIST BATTLES BY NAME.
FFFAIF Policy Statement
The Families and Friends of the First AIF believes that the Australian Government through the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs should commit the to re-burial of the “missing of Fromelles” with individual graves and headstones in a new Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery at Pheasant Wood after DNA testing.