JACK Messenger was the first Ballarat serviceman to lose his life in WWI.
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Messenger has no known grave and his name is recorded on a little known navy memorial in Plymouth, England.
Arch of Victory and Avenue of Honour chairman Garry Snowden said Messenger was one of 17 Ballarat men who gave their lives, without a known burial site, only for their names to be etched into in different monuments across the world that Australians rarely visited.
This Anzac Day the service at the Arch of Victory will call out their names.
Mr Snowden said it was important, each year, to remember every person who served was "not a robot" nor a mere number.
"They were fathers, brothers, next door neighbours, players in football teams," Mr Snowden said.
"Soldiers were no different; nurses were no different."
Messenger is a former pupil of Golden Point State School, off English Street, which now houses Pinarc Disability Support programs.
George Merz was the first Australian airman to be killed. His name is inscribed on the Basra Memorial in Iraq.
Like Messenger, Mert's primary school has long ceased to exist in its own right.
Mertz attended Humffray Street State School which has been refashioned into a school once more in 2024 with the opening of St Joseph's Special Assistance School.
Other servicemen whose names will be called in the 2024 Arch of Victory service are Alfred Briant, Arthur Hughes, Ernek Jannsen, Charles Lucas, John McDonald, Albert Paulig, Alfred Possingham, Harry Williams, Walter Waller, Albert King, William McCarey, James Galbally, Charles Richards, John Bryan Cuthbert and Lawrence Tait.
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Ballarat's Arch of Victory is the largest commemorative arch in Australia and the Avenue of Honour that stretches from the arch is the nation's longest commemorative avenue, stretching 22 kilometres and bearing the names of 3801 Ballarat people who served in WWI.
The Arch of Victory service is on Thursday, April 25, from 8am by the Garden of the Grieving Mother.
Anzac Day Services in the region
Ballarat Cenotaph, Sturt Street
- 6am: dawn service followed by gunfire breakfast at Ballarat RSL Midlands Golf Club.
- 10.30am: march from Lyons Street North to Ballarat Cenotaph, followed by the commemorative service at the cenotaph.
- 1pm: refreshments and Two-Up at Ballarat RSL Midlands Golf Club.
View Point, Lake Wendouree (evening)
- 5.15-5.45pm: Ballarat Memorial Concert Band's inaugural Anzac commemorative performance At the going down of the sun is a short program of reverent music and will include The Last Post.
Cardigan and Windermere Fire Brigade
- 7am: Ceremony at the Firemans memorial in Remembrance Drive, corner Finch's Road, followed by the placing of a wreath.
Arch of Victory
- 8am: commemorative service at the Ballarat Arch of Victory by the Garden of the Grieving Mother.
Sebastopol
- 8.30am: commemorative service at Sebastopol Cenotaph.
Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial
- 9am: wreath laying service at the memorial.
Miners Rest
- 10am: commemorative service at the Miners Rest Cenotaph.
Buninyong
- 10.15am: commemorative service at Buninyong Memorial Park.
Creswick
- 5:40am: dawn service at the cenotaph, followed by the gunfire breakfast in the senior citizens centre.
- 9:30am: commemorative service at the soldiers graves at the Creswick Cemetery.
- 10am: commemorative service at the Memorial Stones, RSL Hall.
- 10:30: march to the Creswick Cenotaph for an 11am Anzac service.
- Noon: Two-Up at Creswick RSL Hall.
- 2pm: Anzac Concert led by Creswick Brass Band at Creswick Senior Citizens Centre.
Bungaree
- 8am: Anzac Day ceremony at Bungaree Recreation Reserve Memorial, followed by gunfire breakfast, with guest speaker Ian Simpkin.
Ballan
- 5.45am: dawn service at McLean Reserve, Inglis Street.
- 12pm: march from RSL sub-branch to cenotaph along Inglis Street.
Blackwood
- 5.45am: dawn service at Blackwood War Memorial, Byres Road.
Navigators
- 6am: dawn service at War Memorial, Navigators Road, followed by breakfast at Navigators Community Hall.
Yendon
- 5pm: service at Honour Board along Avenue of Honour at Yendon No.2 Road near Pope Street, followed by a bring-your-own dinner at the Yendon Recreation Reserve.
Lal Lal
- 11am: service at Lal Lal Anzac Memorial Park on Clarendon-Lal Lal Road, followed by sausage sizzle at Lal Lal Hall.
Beaufort
- 6am: dawn service at the Beaufort Cenotaph with gunfire breakfast afterwards at the Beaufort RSL.
- 10.15am: march from Beaufort RSL to the cenotaph.
Snake Valley
6:30am: dawn service at Peace Memorial opposite the Uniting Church.
Daylesford
- 6.30am: dawn service at Daylesford Cenotaph.
- 10.15am: march to cenotaph for wreath laying service.
Hepburn Springs
- 8.30am: wreath laying, at Memorial Gates, Park Avenue.
Eganstown
- 9am: wreath laying and commemorative service at Old Main Road off Midland Highway.
Kingston
- 8.45am: wreath laying and commemorative service at cenotaph, corner Kingston and Victoria Roads.
Clunes
- 6am: dawn service at cenotaph on Fraser Street.
- 8.30am: commemoration service at the Clunes Cemetery.
- 10.45am: march from Clunes RSL to cenotaph.
Trentham
- 5.55am: dawn service at the Trentham Cenotaph
- 11.30am: March followed by a service and wreath-laying
Corindhap
- 6am: service at Corindhap Memorial Park followed by gunfire breakfast.
Meredith
- 10am: service at Meredith Memorial Hall.
Smythesdale
- 10am: service at Smythesdale War Memorial, followed by morning tea at Smythesdale Gardens.
Rokewood
- 11am: service at Rokewood Memorial, Hardie Street.
Haddon
- 11am: service at Memorial Cenotaph on Sago Hill Road, followed by refreshments at Haddon Community Learning Centre.
- Want to share your Anzac Day ceremony? Use the form below and let us know.
