Ready for Remembrance Day: Mooroopna's Tori May Taylor and Shepparton's Aubree Pavlovsky, 6, wearing poppy dresses with Aubree's grandfather Shepparton RSL vice-president and Poppy Day Appeal co-ordinator Bruce Davis at Shepparton's Cenotaph ahead of Thursday's annual Remembrance Day.
Photo by
Rodney Braithwaite
Poppy Day is always a day to remember for Mooroopna’s Tori May Taylor.
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Twenty-four years ago on November 11 she was the first baby born at Goulburn Valley Health’s newly-opened maternity unit. To mark the occasion, a nurse gave newborn Tori a poppy.
“I still have it, and it’s very special to me,” she said.
Tori and six-year-old Aubree Pavlovsky were at Shepparton Cenotaph this week modelling eye-catching dresses made from thousands of poppies, marking the approach of this year’s annual commemoration of when the guns fell silent on the Western Front in World War I.
This year is also the 100th anniversary of the Poppy Day Appeal which began in 1921, when the forerunner to the RSL, The Australian Returned Soldiers and Sailors Imperial League, first sold poppies for Armistice Day.
Shepparton RSL vice-president and poppy appeal co-ordinator Bruce Davis was only too happy to hold his granddaughter Aubree’s hand as they posed for pictures in the spring sunshine ahead of one of the most solemn days on the military calendar.
Bruce, who served in the 1st Armoured Regiment from 1973 to 1985, said November 11 was an important day to remember the contribution of all the armed services.
“I served during peacetime, but there are always accidents in peace time, and Australian forces are always there sacrificing themselves and putting themselves in harm’s way in overseas conflicts so the rest of us can live in peace,” he said.
He said local funds raised for this year’s Poppy Day Appeal, while down on previous years, were still welcome.
“We’re always grateful for any donations we receive,” he said.
He said funds raised by the sale of poppies and badges at shops and offices around Shepparton were used to support veterans in a variety of ways, including help for those facing financial difficulties, training and education, minor house repairs or to help with school fees for the children of veterans.
Day to reflect: Mooroopna's Tori May Taylor, 24, with six-year-old Aubree Pavlovsky from Shepparton in poppy dresses to promote this year's 100th anniversary of the poppy appeal.
Photo by
Rodney Braithwaite
Tori’s and Aubree’s dresses are made from 2000 poppies hand-sewn by Melbourne designer Helen Manuell a few years ago to help promote the appeal.
This year’s Remembrance Day service is from 10.30am on Thursday, November 11 at the Shepparton Cenotaph, in Welsford St. Guest speaker will be Victorian RSL vice-president Des Callaghan.
Crowd numbers are limited to 500 with QR Code or manual sign-in entry for the fully vaccinated only.
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