AN Australian-first memorial was unveiled in Albury yesterday to pay tribute to 100 of Australia’s war heroes.
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The Lieutenant Albert Borella VC Memorial at the Peards Complex on Borella Road contains the names of the 100 Victorian Cross recipients from the past 115 years.
Twenty five members of the Borella family attended.
Lieutenant Borella’s son Rowan Chalmers-Borella was proudly wearing his father’s original Victoria Cross medal when giving an emotional address at the ceremony.
“Everything from the chin strap to the shoelaces is all spot on and it shows exactly what dad would have worn,” he said.
“I look at the fact that I’ve got great grandchildren here and in a few years time they will be able to come along and see the statue and it will mean just as much to them then as it does to me now.”
The memorial took two years to put together from planning to completion and was funded by Peards Borella Road Nursery owner George Benyon and his wife Debra.
“We are extremely proud to honour this heroic Australian citizen,” Mr Benyon said.
The statue of Lieutenant Borella was unveiled by Victoria Cross recipient Keith Payne and Chalmers-Borella.
It was sculpted by 28-year-old Paul Smits.
City of Albury RSL Sub-Branch president and Vietnam veteran Cr Graham Docksey oversaw the project and said it was a symbol of what Australians were about.
“When you think about that when he (Borella) wanted to enlist in World War I, he rode for 14 days on horseback in the Northern Territory to go to Darwin, to catch a ship to come down to Brisbane just to enlist,” Cr Docksey said.
“That’s one hell of a man.
“Our national flag flies proudly and reminds us all that freedom is not free, and the members of the ADF past, present and future have and will continue to fight to keep this flying for all Australians.”
Victoria Cross recipient Keith Payne said the memorial was of national significance and he would like to see an association of Victoria Cross descendants formed before all the recipients died.
“The younger generation now can see something positive that reminds them of the Victoria Cross and the sacrifice that was given by the generation before them to look after Australia,” Mr Payne said.
“There are only four Victoria Cross recipients remaining in Australia out of 100.”
Albury mayor Kevin Mack, Farrer MP Sussan Ley, member for Albury Greg Aplin and councillors Alice Glachan, Patricia Gould and Ross Jackson all attended the ceremony.