Mowing, weeding, whipper-snipping and collecting rubbish might seem like fairly mundane tasks to most, but to the volunteers of the Darawank War Memorial Park, they're meaningful deeds that allow them to serve their community while also paying tribute to the servicemen and women of this country.
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Comprised of national servicemen John McNeil, Jim Moore, Bill Chandler, Mal Bevan, Jeff Hardy and Eric Janes, the group meets every Wednesday at Darawank Park and performs the important but somewhat overlooked task of keeping the grounds beautiful.
With the youngest member a sprightly 72, the group more than make up for their lack of youth with enthusiasm.
"It gives you a sense of purpose," the group's council liaison officer, Mr McNeil, said.
"It's about community and camaraderie," Mr Bevan added.
With several members having volunteered since 2005, the group has seen their efforts steadily transform the grounds over the years, with Mr McNeil registering Darawank as an official war memorial park in 2016.
This allowed him to apply for future war memorial funding opportunities, such as last year's Armistice Centenary Grants Project.
The funding received from this project enabled the group to add several striking features to the park, including a memorial artwork designed by McNeil and several bench seats all commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Armistice of the First World War.
They are a great group of people who are doing a fantastic job for their community.
- Paul De Szell
And they're understandably proud of the space they've created.
"The comments we get on this place, people know we look after it more than your average park," Mr Bevan said.
"A bloke came up here the other day and he thought it was bloody beautiful."
MidCoast Council’s director of community spaces and services, Paul De Szell, also acknowledged the valuable work the group did in helping Council maintain the park.
“The volunteers who work at the Darawank War Memorial Park are a great asset to Council and the community," he said.
"The work they do is why the park looks so fantastic.”
But while the group draws a great sense of satisfaction from contributing to the community, they also admit that much of their dedication comes from the bonds they share as national servicemen and the benefits the work brings them individually.
"We've all got different reasons for doing it," Mr McNeil said.
"But we know what the servicemen have been through."
He pointed to fellow member Jeff Hardy, who still helped out despite needing the assistance of a walking frame, as just one of his inspirations for doing the work.
"These are the blokes I admire," he said.
"They're why I do what I do."
