THE centenary of the World War I battle in France which gave Albury the name for its best known park will be commemorated on Saturday.
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A plaque bearing names of 51 diggers who returned to Australia and helped form Noreuil Park alongside the Murray River will be unveiled by member for Farrer Sussan Ley.
The Battle of Noreuil was fought in April 1917 and Rotary Club of Albury North member Phil Rouvray felt the centenary should be marked in some fashion after visiting the French village last year.
“I didn’t really know what form it should take, then the council came up with the idea of the plaque with the names of those who were in the 13th Battery who constructed the park,” he said.
Members of what was known as the Albury Battery convinced their mayor of 1919 Alf Waugh of the merits of naming the reserve Noreuil Park rather than a more generic title such as Anzac or AIF.
"Noreuil was the place where the battery covered themselves with imperishable glory,'' Cr Waugh said, referring to the soldiers who repelled the German enemy.
In addition to the plaque unveiling, the names of those from Albury that fell at Noreuil will be read and national anthems of France and Australia sung by Albury High School students.
However, the French embassy turned down an invitation with ambassador Christophe Lecourtier overseas.
Press attache Alexandre Wilson told The Border Mail: “Due to long term programmed schedules, no representative from the embassy will be able to attend the event that day.
“We wish you all the best for the commemoration.”
Mr Rouvray was peeved by the rejection.
“Disappointed comes pretty close to it, considering we have a choir to sing La Marseillaise,” he said.
“They got a park named after their town and they were kind of fighting for France, fighting to liberate France.”
Albury mayor Kevin Mack will be absent from the ceremony due to a commitment beyond town, with his predecessor Henk van de Ven to represent the city.
The event, to be held in front of the Riverdeck Cafe, begins at 11am with everybody welcome, particular kin of Noreuil veterans.
Rotarian and army chaplain Catie Inches-Ogden will be master of ceremonies with Border Army commandant Colonel Andy Maclean to attend.
