ANZAC Day is a time to commemorate and honour members of the community who have served or currently serve our country. Aoife Moynihan talks to an Australian Defence Force veteran and an Australian Army cadet about what it means to serve their country.
Veteran John Balfour OAM
At almost 80 years old, veteran and Belrose resident John Balfour has tremendous energy and passion for preserving the memories of those who have served in the Australian Defence Forces. John was in the army reserves for 46 years and runs the Australia My Country art, poetry and writing competition for primary students in the Forest area. He also leads the Remembrance Day Education Grant Program where Year 6 students write an essay on a family member who served in the defence forces to win $2,000 to help them with their transition to high school.
John was presented with the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2013 by the former NSW Governor The Honourable Dame Marie Bashir. I speak with John on the day of her funeral (5 February) and he recalls an encounter with Dame Bashir about 20 years ago at the ANZAC Day March in Sydney, where John has served as a marshall for 56 years.
“I had the honour of catching her near the cenotaph on Pitt Street when she tripped over the council barricade,” John says. “She had her three (aides de comp) behind and all the ceremonial people, and I said, ‘Stop, stop, stop!’ I picked her up and I picked up her shoe. She put it back on and kept marching, as she was the leader all on her own. She didn’t know how to march, so I had to teach her. I was walking backwards at the time and that’s when she fell.”
He was a guide for the North Fort Tunnels and the Australian Memorial Walk in North Head for many years. He now manages the memorial pavers.
“I advise people what to say on their pavers,” explains John. “I receive them from Melbourne at my home, sort them out and I go down with two guys and we lay them all three times a year.” He also looks after the pavers at Forestville RSL Club cenotaph.
John leads the ANZAC Sunday march in Forestville each year
John received a Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) in 2022. An MSM is the highest individual award any veteran can receive for a minimum of 50 years outstanding service to RSL Australia. Bob Lunnon, president of the Forestville RSL Sub-Branch, said not many veterans receive an MSM. “We’re very proud of John,” he says. Just recently, John was awarded the title of Northern Beaches Council Senior Citizen of the Year 2026.
On ANZAC Sunday on 19 April at 2.40pm, you’ll find John leading the march in Forestville, coordinating over 200 people at the starting point at Forestville Memorial Hall.
“They all line up: the cadets, Air Force, Army, RFS, the sub-branch members, veterans, school kids, guides, scouts, and the police,” John says. “We usually have about three police cars and the Manly Warringah Pipe Band.” As commander of the March, John works with the police to stop the traffic.
ANZAC Day is a big day for the cadets
“I march out on the road and tell the police to stop the traffic and then I say, ‘Quick march everyone,’ and we walk about four blocks with a police escort.” The march ends at the cenotaph at Forestville RSL with a memorial service.
John has a full diary, but he likes it that way.
“My sister and son both told me I’m getting a little old and I should be slowing down,” says John. “But I’m too busy, so I’ll think about that later. Otherwise, I’ll just sit at home and vegetate.”
Australian Army Cadets: Alec Nelson
Alec Nelson, 25, who grew up in Balgowlah, joined the Australian Army Cadets (AAC) in 2016 when he was a student at Oxford Falls Grammar. He was a cadet with 201 ACU (Army Cadet Unit) Northern Beaches for five years and has been overseeing the younger cadets since he ‘aged out’ when he was 18.
“I loved it so much I decided I wanted to come back as the staff member in order to grow the unit,” Alec tells PL. “I acknowledge the impact that it had in my life, and I wanted to give back and ensure that other kids had that same opportunity.”
The cadets marched on ANZAC Sunday in 2025
The AAC program is sponsored by the Australian Army and aims to instil a sense of identity, purpose and belonging. It fosters an interest in the Army but isn’t used for recruitment. There are about 217 ACUs across Australia with about 15,000 cadets. Young people can join the Army Cadets in the year they turn 13.
Alec has two roles within the Cadets: as second in command and training officer. He mentors senior cadets – older teens who run the program for the younger cadets, make decisions and plan activities. He helps the command team manage weekly training requirements such as consent forms for activities and he liaises with parents.
“Part of my role is to mentor the older ones, so they make the right decisions,” he says. “And give feedback on their work, as well as planning activities from a risk mitigation point.”
Alec completes a lot of activity applications that are sent off to state level for approval by full-time army personnel. He says the program has many benefits for young people.
“I’ve made some lifelong friends,” says Alec. “The other thing is confidence. Not a lot of these kids have experience talking in front of people, but within a year we have them instructing lessons with 20 people and managing a section of six to eight. Then you send them on another course and they’re managing up to 30, and they go on another course and they’re managing up to 100.”
The Cadets meet in Dee Why every Wednesday night and the evening is split into four periods.
“They would do either some physical exercise or drills where they learn how to march and salute,” explains Alec. “Then they’ll do three different lessons that come under the various categories such as navigation, first aid, field craft or radio communications.”
Someone fires up the barbeque halfway through the night for dinner and the cadets enjoy a sausage sandwich. Cadets have a weekend activity once per term, such as joint activities with the Pymble Unit, formerly the Normanhurst Unit, with whom they have a good relationship.
The Cadets will join be joining John Balfour in Forestville on ANZAC Sunday, providing a catafalque guard combined with the Air Force Cadets.
ANZAC Day is big for the unit, with the cadets participating in many events. They’ll begin with the Manly Dawn Service, followed by the Dee Why Dawn Service, ANZAC Village Dawn Service in Collaroy, and the Avalon RSL Dawn Service. After that they will head to Brookvale to march from near Brookvale Public School along Pittwater Road to the Keolis Downer bus depot, where there’s another ANZAC Day service.
“Then we get on a bus provided by the depot, and head to the city for the CBD March,” says Alec.
Although the Cadets program isn’t a feeder for the Army, many do go on to study at the Australian Defence Force Academy or join the Army or Reserves in some capacity, including Alec. “I enlisted yesterday,” Alec says proudly. “There’s a Reserve Unit in Dee Why and Pymble on a Tuesday night. And that’s a very different kettle of fish, being actual Army.”
Visit armycadets.gov.au for more information of the program or visit 201 ACU’s Facebook.
ANZAC Sunday 19 April ANZAC Day Saturday 25 April
For details of commemorations, ceremonies, and events, visit rslnsw.org.au, awm.gov.au and local council websites.
