𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐖𝐖𝐈𝐈 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐫 𝐍𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬

Peter Rasey is an author, podcaster, YouTuber and active member of the Australian American Association. He researches Australia’s military history for memorialization purposes, particularly within the Brisbane area, and has done so since 1988. Among many other initiatives, he has made over 380 contributions to the ‘Places of Pride’ website, the Australian War Memorial’s national register of war memorials project.

Peter has approached the Centaur Association to help promote his latest campaign. He is asking the public to support a proposal for a grove of trees opposite the Canon Garland Overpass to honor all of the Centaur nurses. He explains more on his YouTube site ‘Brisbane WWII, with a post regarding his partition – Centaur Nurses Grove Petition BCC Petition number 1597 Ward – found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8NdQl8ZwJU

The Centaur Association is inviting their members to participate as individuals if they feel the cause worthy. Peter Rasey recently spoke with the Association’s President, Tom Evans, explaining to him that: “it is hard to believe, but easy to understand how Brisbane has not had a suitable Memorial to the sinking of the Centaur (Centaur House and the Centaur Memorial Fund for Nurses notwithstanding – Eds. note). The survivors were found by a plane serviced as it happened by the City Of Brisbane Squadron Number 23 based in WWII at Lowood, just east of Caloundra. The actual shipwreck was not discovered until 2009. It is 35 nautical miles due east of the Brisbane City Town Hall. So please support the petition”:

See the link below to access the petition submission https://www.epetitions.brisbane.qld.gov.au/…/view/pid/1597

Peter has proposed that a Memorial of Trees be planted opposite Canon Garland overpass, mirroring the WWI nurses grove in Anzac Park, Toowong QLD. Anzac Park, is Australia’s first so-named, and Peter believes it is a most suitable site to mark the 85th Anniversary of the sinking of the AHS Centaur, which will occur in 2028.

Peter goes on to explain that  Anzac Park has several memorials to WWI. However, in 1992, the Anzac Day Bottletree was transplanted to the site by Lord Mayor Sallyanne Atkinson. That Bottletree refers to all wars honored on Anzac Day. More recently, the National Defense Chaplains Memorial Grove was established, honoring all Defense Chaplains who died in the service of their country. One plaque will be dedicated to Centaur’s own Padre, Captain (Chaplain) The Reverend Earnest George Laverick who served at various POW and military camps in Victoria before being appointed to chaplain on the Centaur becoming one of many casualties .

Peter would also like to highlight, that if you do wish to sign the petition, that you please note the following submission steps:

1) For those living outside of Brisbane Council ward areas, when answering the Wards question, from the drop-down list, select the first option ‘Live outside of Brisbane’.

2) Next, select whether you are a Brisbane Resident or not a Brisbane Resident.

Both of these questions need to be answered otherwise the signed petition will not process.

3) The Brisbane Council will then send you an email to the email address you had entered with your submission, asking you to confirm your petition submission – simply click on the link in the email to confirm and finalise. This is important as your submission will not be accepted unless this step has been completed.

TIP: Please check your junk/spam folder in case this confirmation request email ends up in there.

Photo Caption: 𝐴𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑛 𝐴𝑟𝑚𝑦 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑙𝑎 𝑛, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑉𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑅𝑜𝑏 𝑆𝑢𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑑, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐴𝑟𝑚𝑦 𝑀𝑣 𝑟𝑒𝑐ս𝑜𝑟, 𝐶𝐴𝑃 𝐴𝑑𝑒𝑙𝑒 𝐶𝑎կ՝𝑠, 𝑏𝑒𝑠 𝑑𝑒 gnaℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑎սvery𝑣𝑒 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑞𝑢𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡, 𝑠𝑜𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑓ս𝑒𝑟 Յℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑓𝑓 𝑐 𝑎𝑙 𝑙𝑎𝑢𝑛𝑐ℎ 𝑐𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑦 𝑜𝑛 9 𝑂𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑏𝑒𝑟 2019, 𝐷𝑇𝑀𝑅 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑓𝑓 𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑠 𝑑𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 (𝐴𝑛𝑧𝑎𝑐 𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑘 𝑠 𝑑𝑒) 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑛-𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑝 𝑡𝑜 𝐶𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑛 𝐺𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑂𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠, 𝑏𝑒𝑠 𝑑𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑊𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛 𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑤𝑎𝑦. 𝑜𝑓 𝑃𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝐶𝑜𝑙𝑙 𝑛𝑠 𝐶𝐺𝑀𝑀.