From left: Maralinga co-school captain Robyn Parker, Lieutenant General Peter Leahy, Maralinga house captain Julie Nhem and Maralinga co-school captain Brendan Way at last Sunday’s Remembrance Day ceremony at Springvale Botanical Cemetery.THE Springvale Botanical Cemetery hosted the Returned and Services League (RSL) state Remembrance Day celebration last Sunday.
Remembrance Day is not until this Saturday, but the ceremony traditionally happens one week earlier.
Among the crowd of RSL members who honoured those who died for Australia while fighting in World War I and II were a host of schools also paying their respects.
But only one state school from Greater Dandenong was in attendance – Maralinga Primary School.
Principal Peter Gray said the school’s two captains and one house captain took part in the wreath-laying ceremony and were later greeted by some of the RSL and defence force’s highest-ranking members.
Arguably the most distinguished, Mr Gray said, was Chief of Army Lieutenant General Peter Leahy.
Mr Gray said he was surprised other state schools hadn’t attended the ceremony.
