Travel: Bruce Rock, WA

By Doug McIvor and Naureen Taylor

Who would have thought the simple act of replacing a window in Bruce Rock’s St Peter’s Church would lead to an annual reunion that attracts thousands of returned servicemen and women to the wheatbelt town, crowding the local oval with caravans, campers and motorhomes.

But this is no ordinary window and the region’s war veterans are no ordinary group of people.

It all started about six years ago in the town three hours’ drive east of Perth when the church committee approached the local Vietnam Veterans Association to help refurbish their place of worship.

Led by Merv Gould, who served with 1RAR attached to the US Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam, the vets took the opportunity to install a leadlight window honouring those who served in the war and “putting some love back into the church”.

“A local woman, Sue Munze, designed the window, the vets paid for the glass and another local, Murray Arnold, did the leadlighting,” Merv said.

“Murray said afterwards that it was a very emotional experience and his response showed us that there was immense respect for returned services personnel.”

It is called the Peace Window – the colours are the Vietnam campaign colours and it shows a white dove (denoting God or Christ) with a branch from a WA flowering gum (offering peace and goodwill) touching a Long Tan cross (representing Vietnam), with blue sky (Australia), the rising sun (our military heritage), a field in various shades of green (our diverse cultures) and a shadow (depicting that dark period in our nation’s history).

On the window sill is a small statue of a tracker dog honouring those dogs that were left behind in Vietnam, which is still a distressing memory for their handlers.

There is also a brass holder in which a candle is lit during the church service and a silver and crystal box containing some small rocks from such places as Nui Dat and Long Tan.

“Under that is a noticeboard covered with WA wildflowers on which the names of deceased vets are placed, a list that sadly gets added to each year,” Merv said.

The window was consecrated five years ago, with the local association inviting all veterans to mark the occasion.

Since then it has expanded to become one of the biggest returned services reunions in WA, attracting about 3000 veterans and their partners to Bruce Rock in the first week of November each year.

Of course, Merv is not the only organiser. He has a committee of helpers – including his “angel of a wife” Judy – and the local shire contributes by publicising the event and contacting the various veterans groups each year.

Just before the 2005 reunion, the shire donated a building, now called ‘The Bunker’, which has been renovated and will serve as a meeting place and drop-in centre for war veterans living in or passing through the region.

“Each year this gathering helps to get blokes back,” Merv said. “Many of us feel guilty that we are still alive, that we survived when our mates died.”

Merv went on to explain that in a war zone you can’t say goodbye properly, so the reunion is a way of “letting go of bad memories and celebrating our survival”.

“Veterans trust veterans. They know they can come to Bruce Rock and find out correct details and information about such things as veterans affairs, pensions and medical conditions. Because many of us are retired we travel around quite a bit, so this year we are getting involved in the ‘Stop the Cane Toad’ campaign.”

The reunion brings the whole Bruce Rock community together and gives the region a financial boost.

Activities start on the Monday as people arrive in town. Tuesday is Melbourne Cup Day, Wednesday involves tours around the district and golf, Thursday features golf and a school concert, with rifle shooting and bowls conducted on the Friday followed by a concert that evening.

By Saturday the town is bursting, with street stalls doing a thriving trade in the morning, a parade in the afternoon followed by a church service, then a community barbecue at the oval with entertainment into the night.

Merv plays down his association’s effort, which takes months of planning and a big contribution from the shire.

“I’ve been throwing rubbish out of my bag for years and filling it up with good stuff,” he said.

“I found a home in Bruce Rock 18 years ago, a place where I was accepted and other vets were made welcome. The reunion is a way for us to repay the community.”

The reunion is held in the first week of November each year. For more details on the event phone the Bruce Rock Shire on (08) 9061 1377.