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Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia
MEDIA ADVISORY: Governor-General to visit Fromelles
12 July 2010
The Governor-General, Ms Quentin Bryce AC, and Mr Michael Bryce AM AE, will be absent from Australia between Saturday, July 17th and Wednesday, July 21st.
The purpose of the visit is to enable the Governor-General to represent Australia on Monday, July 19th, at the dedication ceremony of the Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery, with HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall.
Their participation in the ceremony recognises the losses incurred by both Australia and the United Kingdom during the Battle of Fromelles on July the 19th, 1916, which saw the single biggest loss of life in Australian military history, with 5,533 casualties and 1,917 soldiers killed.
All but one of the soldiers have been re-interred with military honours in the purpose-built Military Cemetery – the first to be constructed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in 50 years. The remaining Unknown Soldier will be buried during the Dedication of the Cemetery after a Funerary Procession through the town, to be joined by Ms Bryce and The Prince of Wales.
The Governor-General visited Pheasant Wood at Fromelles in November 2008 to lay a wreath at a simple memorial to the 250 men buried in a field at Pheasant Wood.
Segments of the Governor-General’s program which may be of interest to the media include:
Fromelles, July 19th:
- 12.15 pm: Governor-General and HRH The Prince of Wales join the Funerary Procession
- 12.24pm – 1.00 pm: Re-interment ceremony at the Fromelles Military Cemetery
- 1.30pm: attend reception at Cobbers’ School
- 3.00pm: attend relatives’ reflection period at the Military Cemetery
- 3.30pm: lay a wreath at the French Memorial outside the Fromelles Church
- 4.00pm: attend a ceremony to invest the Mayor of Fromelles M Hubert Huchette with an Honorary AM
NOTE TO EDITORS: All events are on a “picfac only” basis. Copies of the Governor-General’s speeches will be available at www.gg.gov.au. For more information and to register interest in coverage, please contact Niree Creed, at niree.creed@gg.gov.au or +61 418625595, and Sam Groves at sam.groves@gg.gov.au or +61 433505930 by COB Friday, July the 16th.
