THE Bellinger River RSL is inviting veterans of Australia’s Middle East deployments and their families to throw some camping gear in the car, head to the river and spend a weekend relaxing with people who share the experience of serving in the Defence Force.
The “Twenty-Five Years On” gathering will be held at Bellingen from October 16-18, marking the 25th anniversary of Australia’s deployment to the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.
But organiser Derek Bell says the weekend is deliberately not about military protocol or talking about war.
“It’s about sitting around a bonfire with a group of people with similar experience in the force who understand each other,” he said.
“In short – commemoration, connection and camaraderie. Forget the speeches, uniforms and formalities,” he said.
Mr Bell, a Bellinger River RSL sub-branch committee member, said there was a particular focus on connecting veterans from the more-recent conflicts, many of whom have had little involvement with the RSL.
“A lot of the younger veterans see RSLs as only being for World War II, Korean War and Vietnam veterans,” he said.
“They haven’t been motivated to become involved with veterans’ organisations because they don’t think there is anything on offer for them.”
The War in Afghanistan was Australia’s longest conflict overseas. More than 35,000 Australians served in the Middle East Area of Operations as part of the War in Afghanistan (2001 to 2021) and 17,000 in the Iraq War (2005-2009).
A total of 52 Australians lost their lives in those conflicts – 47 in Afghanistan and 5 in Iraq.
Mr Bell said there were no official figures on the number of Middle East veterans living on the Mid North Coast, however there were about 3000 military veterans living in the Coffs / Bellingen / Nambucca areas.
The free weekend will be held on private property beside the Bellinger River, with veterans asked to bring their own camping gear or caravan, food, water and chairs.
There will be a barbecue spit and bonfire on Saturday night, family-friendly activities during the day, and easy access to the river for swimming, fishing and canoeing.
There will also be plenty of time simply to relax and spend time with other veterans and their families, with no expectation that anyone needs to talk about their military experiences but also with the opportunity to tell their story.
The weekend will conclude with a simple Dawn Service on Sunday morning.
“Chora Valley Resort” is a reference to an area of Afghanistan where Australian and allied forces saw significant military action.
For those who served there, the name is a tongue-in-cheek reference to a place that was about as far from a holiday resort as you could get.
Mr Bell said the event was open to the veteran community, whether or not they were RSL members, along with partners and immediate family.
It is the first time the Bellinger River RSL has held the gathering.
There are around 30 campsites available, but bookings are essential. Contact bellinger-riversb@rslnsw.org.au or visit the Bellinger RSL Facebook page for further information.
By Leigh WATSON
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