Georges River Council will honour the extraordinary contributions of local servicemen and women this ANZAC Day with a series of five commemorative banners displayed across the local government area.
Each banner will feature the image of a serviceman or woman connected to one of the five wards of Georges River. The individuals selected represent courage, sacrifice and community spirit. These are values that continue to define ANZAC remembrance today.
The portraits on each banner are all high-resolution archival images from the Australian War Memorial.
Georges River Council Mayor Elise Borg said, "The flags provide an important opportunity to reflect on the diverse histories embedded within the Georges River area.
"ANZAC Day is a time for our community to come together in remembrance. These flags allow us to acknowledge local men and women whose service forms a proud part of our shared history.
"By placing their stories in our streets, we ensure future generations understand the sacrifices made in conflicts across the globe."
Honoured individuals featured on the 2026 ANZAC Day commemorative flags:
Kogarah Bay Ward – Matron Clara Jane Shumack
Clara Jane Shumack was born and raised in Bathurst before moving to Kogarah to train and later work as a nurse at the St George Hospital. On 20 July 1940, she was appointed the role of matron onboard the Army hospital ship Manunda. Between October 1940 and September 1941, the Manunda treated wounded soldiers while travelling between Australia and the Middle East.
On 19 February 1942 the Japanese launched their first bombing raid on the city of Darwin. The Manunda was anchored in Darwin Harbour at the time and was hit during the attack, suffering twelve fatalities and eighteen significant injuries. Schumack was said to maintain her composure during the attack and supervised the care of her fellow servicepeople.
Later that same year, on 6 September, Schumack and the Manunda would come under fire again while evacuating wounded soldiers in Milne Bay in Papua New Guinea.
Rising to the rank of Major in March 1943, Schumack would serve in hospitals in Papua New Guinea and in Australia for the remainder of the war. In June 1945 she was awarded the Royal Red Cross for her 'exceptional devotion to duty'.
Hurstville Ward – Major General Arthur Samuel "Tubby" Allen
Born and raised in Hurstville, Arthur Samuel Allen joined the military before the outbreak of World War I, becoming a commissioned officer in 1913. He was enlisted into the Australian Imperial Forces in June 1915 and departed Australia to serve in Egypt in August. In March 1916 he was promoted to Captain. In June he was posted to France and in August fought at Pozieres and remained at the frontlines of the Somme, leading his men in the Battle of Messines in June 1917. For his leadership Allen earned the Distinguished Service Order and was promoted to major.
Two weeks after the end of the war Allen was promoted to lieutenant colonel, rising to the rank of brigadier in the interwar years. During this period his portly appearance earned him the nickname 'Tubby'.
With the outbreak of World War II, Allen was posted to North Africa, where his brigade fought at Tobruk. In March 1942 Allen returned to Australia, taking charge of the defence of Port Moresby in August, which he would be relieved of on 29 October. In October 1944 General Thomas Blamey recommended Major General Allen be appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Mortdale Ward – Lieutenant John Patrick Hamilton VC
John Hamilton was born at Orange, NSW on 24 January 1896. His family later moved to Carruthers Street, Penshurst, where John worked as a butcher in his father's shop prior to enlisting in the military.
Hamilton enlisted in the first month of the war and left with the first contingent of the Australian Imperial Forces. At 19 years of age, he received the Victoria Cross at Lone Pine, for repelling a Turkish attack. Lt Hamilton was the first Australian Private and the first soldier from NSW to win the VC. His citation for the award reads:
For most conspicuous bravery on 9th August 1915, in the Gallipoli Peninsula. During a heavy bomb attack by the enemy on the newly-captured position at Lone Pine, Private Hamilton, with utter disregard of personal safety, exposed himself under heavy fire on the parados, in order to secure a better fire position against the enemy's bomb-throwers. His coolness and daring example had an immediate effect. The defence was encouraged and the enemy driven off with heavy loss."
He would receive several promotions throughout his military career, eventually being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on 2 January 1919.
Blakehurst Ward – Private Frank Derwent Thompson
Frank Derwent Thompson was born at Oatley in 1891, the son of Thomas Henry and Mary Thompson. He attended Mortdale Public School and Kogarah Superior Public School while living at Wyong Street, Oatley. Before enlisting to serve in the First World War, Thompson worked as an electrician.
Thompson enlisted in the military on 26 February 1915, joining the Australian Imperial Forces 19th Battalion. Thompson embarked for Europe on 25 June 1915, sailing out of Melbourne aboard the HMAT Ceramic.
Frank Thompson would serve in the Australian Imperial Forces for two years before dying of illness in France on 21 February 1917 at the age of 26. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Medal for Valour on 26 May 1917 and the Military Medal on 26 June 1917.
Peakhurst Ward – Driver Thomas "Tom" Williams
Thomas Williams, a Kamilaraay man, enlisted for World War I at Armidale on 5 January 1916, stating that he was a labourer, born at Coonamble, and giving his age as 41. However, he was discharged with good character three months later. A few weeks later on 24 July, Williams re-enlisted from Narrabri, NSW, under the name 'Matthew Revenew' giving his age as 35, a not unusual practice for those determined to serve.
Williams embarked from Melbourne on 10 May 1917, and arrived in Egypt on 20 June 1917. He served in West Asia with the 32nd Company as a Driver, aided by his experience as a stockman prior to the war. Williams was injured twice during his service, suffering two separate chest injuries from horse-drawn wagons. Williams returned to Australia on the Oxfordshire in August 1919.
After returning to Australia, Williams married Dolly Anderson, a Dharawal woman, living at what was commonly called the Salt Pan Creek Camp, which was centred on land owned by Anderson's family in Peakhurst. In the 1930s, the Salt Pan Creek Camp was a place of refuge and resistance for Aboriginal People in the Georges River area, offering protection from forced eviction by the 'Aborigines Protection Board'.
Tom Williams passed away in 1936, aged 61.
Georges River Council invites residents to see the commemorative flags throughout April as the community prepares for ANZAC Day services and commemorations.
To discover more ANZAC stories of Georges River, visit Connected to Culture.
