Veterans of Australia’s Middle East deployments are being invited to pack up the car and head to the Bellinger River this month, as the Bellinger River RSL Sub-Branch marks 25 years since Australia’s commitment to Afghanistan began.
The “Twenty-Five Years On” gathering will run from Friday, 16 October to Sunday, 18 October on private property beside the Bellinger River at Bellingen, with organisers deliberately steering away from formal commemoration in favour of camping, shared meals and conversation.
Bellinger River RSL Sub-Branch president Emma Palmer said the milestone was one the sub-branch could not let pass quietly.
“Twenty-five years felt like a marker we couldn’t let pass quietly. Most of our commemorative calendar is built around Anzac Day and Remembrance Day, and for good reason, but the Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO) generation of veterans, from Afghanistan and Iraq, haven’t really had a moment that’s specifically theirs. We wanted to change that,” she said.
More than 35,000 Australians served in the Middle East Area of Operations as part of the War in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2021, Australia’s longest overseas conflict, with a further 17,000 serving in Iraq between 2005 and 2009. A total of 52 Australians lost their lives across the two conflicts, 47 in Afghanistan and five in Iraq.
Ms Palmer said the relaxed, informal format reflected how many veterans of more recent conflicts preferred to mark their service.
“When I talk to other veterans from our more recent conflicts, there is a feeling that formal services with wreaths and speeches aren’t always where they feel most comfortable remembering their service. What works better is being around people who get it, without the pressure of formality and protocol,” she said.
She said changing perceptions of the RSL among younger veterans was part of the sub-branch’s purpose.
“The RSL sometimes gets seen as an organisation built around an older generation of veterans, and I understand why, but that’s changing, and we want MEAO veterans to see themselves in it too. Locally, we’re here for connection, commemoration and camaraderie as well as welfare support and advocacy, whether that’s help navigating DVA, or just somewhere to turn up and be around people who understand. This weekend is part of showing that in practice, not just saying it,” she said.
The location has been given the tongue-in-cheek name “Chora Valley Resort”, a reference to an area of Afghanistan where Australian and allied forces saw significant combat.
“The Chora Valley is an area in Southern Afghanistan’s Uruzgan Province where many Australian troops experienced heavy fighting and loss of life. In calling the location of our event ‘Chora Valley Resort’ it is a reference to that location which was far, far from a resort for those who served there. It is the type of humour that tends to run through service culture,” Ms Palmer said.
The free weekend will include a barbecue spit and bonfire on Saturday night, family-friendly activities, and access to the river for swimming, fishing and canoeing, with no expectation that anyone needs to discuss their military experience, though the opportunity will be there for those who wish to. The weekend will close with a simple Dawn Service on Sunday morning.
Ms Palmer said the event, the first of its kind held by the sub-branch, was open to all MEAO veterans and their immediate families, regardless of RSL membership.
“You don’t need to be a member, and you don’t need to have served in a particular unit or on a particular tour. If you deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq during that period, or you’re the immediate family of someone who did, you’re welcome. We wanted to remove as many barriers to attending as we could; this isn’t about ticking a membership box, it’s about making sure people aren’t left out of something that’s meant for them,” she said.
There are around 30 campsites available, suitable for tents, caravans or motorhomes, with one site per family group. The camping is self-sufficient, with no power or showers on site, though toilets will be provided. Veterans are asked to bring their own gear, food, water and chairs, and to take their rubbish home at the end of the weekend.
Ms Palmer said the weekend was dedicated to the local veteran community and to those who did not come home, including Sergeant Matthew Locke MG, who was born in Bellingen and killed in Uruzgan Province in 2007.
“This weekend belongs to the MEAO generation of veterans and their families, and to the memory of those we lost, including Sergeant Matthew Locke MG, who was born in Bellingen and killed in Uruzgan Province in 2007. This weekend is about Commemoration, Connection and Camaraderie. If you served in Afghanistan or Iraq, or anywhere across the MEAO / Middle East Region (MER), or you love someone who did, this one’s for you,” she said.
Bookings are essential, with registration available at https://www.123tix.com.au/events/54862/twenty-five-years-on-commemorating-australias-commitment-to-afghanistan
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