Restored memorial opens next week

A LONG-forgotten soldiers’ memorial at Mannerim that has been restored by a group of dedicated volunteers will officially open next week.

The Mannerim Memorial Opening and a Remembrance Service will be held at the site on Swan Bay Road (next to the Rail Trail) on November 11.

Celebrations will start with a smoking ceremony and Welcome to Country by Corinna Eccles from the Wadawurrung at 9.45am, followed by a police chaplain consecrating the site, and Bellarine MP Lisa Neville cutting the ribbon.

The daughter of Lighthorseman and Mannerim man Sloan ‘Scotty’ Bolton, Margaret Grant, will talk about her dad and her memories of events in the hall. A remembrance service will follow at 11am.

The site was originally set up in memorial of all soldiers who volunteered for World War I from in and around the area, including Mannerim, Swan Bay, Marcus Hill and St Leonards.