John Stead (a veteran and known by many locals as Norma’s son) from Honour Our Fallen, a not-for-profit organisation, spent yesterday placing Australian flags on the graves and memorial plaques of fallen soldiers in Kiama Cemetery.

“We hope to be able to recognise all of our fallen by placing these flags each ANZAC Day,” says Mr Stead, who is the organisation’s facilitator for the area.

“Once you put them in the ground and see all these Australian flags fluttering in the breeze, it looks really amazing.

“Then you go and look closely and you pick up a story of who that person was while paying respect to them.”

Mr Stead has now placed approximately 150 flags on the graves and 30 on the commemorative walls where ashes are stored. The flags, which are all Australian made, are left out for about a week before they are taken down to be reused.

Some of the flags placed in Kiama Cemetery

This is the first time for Australian flags to be placed in Kiama Cemetery and is part of what Honour Our Fallen does to recognise fallen soldiers or defence force personnel.

“The program was created to thank all those that have given service to the community and we are taking the first steps to honour all those in the defence service,” says Richard McCarthy OAM, Founding Director of Honour Our Fallen.

“I am then hoping we can go onto the other services that wear an Australian uniform like the Ambulance, Fire and Police because they all deserve thanks.”

Richard McCarthy OAM & John Stead

There are 180 cemeteries around Australia where service clubs, schools and community groups are facilitating the flag commemorations. 

“By involving schools, it’s a full process of education as well as building respect in the community, because they get to know the people and their history in some ways,” says Mr McCarthy.

“We even give the schools a research manual to make it easy for the teachers to do a lesson plan so the students can research the names and then place the flags.

“The feedback we’ve had from the schools has been unbelievable and the kids have really enjoyed doing it.”

Honour Our Fallen hopes to get local schools involved next year to teach students about Australia’s fallen soldiers and to generate an appreciation of veterans and current defence personnel.

If you know someone or have a family member who served and would like a flag at their grave or if you have a problem with a flag being placed, call John Stead on 0414 946 694 or email: [email protected]