Peacekeepers Head to Memorial Opening in Canberra –
A key player in the development of the Australian Peacekeeping Memorial Project, Wodonga’s Matt Burke OAM, has called on armed services personnel, police and civilians who have served as peacekeepers, to attend the opening of the memorial on Anzac Parade in Canberra next week.
Matt Burke was the inaugural president of the Australian Peacekeepers & Peacemakers Veterans Association for 10 years (1999-2009) and the vice chairman of the memorial project from 2005-2011. He was selected to be vice chair to Major General Tim Ford AO on the creation and subsequent committee for the memorial project.
“It’s been a big project to raise over $3.5million and develop a national memorial that suitably commemorates the significant contribution made in the service of peace by over 80,000 Australian peacekeepers in the military, police and civilians,” Mr Burke said.
“We have a big military community on the Border, many that would have served in peacekeeping operations, so I encourage them to go to Canberra on 14 September for the launch,” he said.
“Even since the winning design for the memorial was announced in 2008, there’s been a lot of work to get to this day.
“It will be a moving event as part of a week of commemoration of the 70th anniversary of Australian Peacekeeping.”
Mr Burke served 25 years in the Australian Regular Army in logistics and transportation, finishing up in senior executive management in the Albury Wodonga Military Area, at Bandiana in 1995.
Matt has served on active military operations overseas and served on Peacekeeping duties. He is actively involved in the local and regional community through various community groups including Rotary and RSL.