News Articles - St Canice's Catholic Primary Katoomba

St Canice's Primary brothers wear Anzac pride with great-grandfather's medals

24 Apr 2024

Dean and Aiden Irwin from St Canice's Catholic Primary Katoomba wearing medals for ANZAC Day

For two brothers at St Canice's Primary Katoomba, Anzac Day is a sombre but proud event as they remember their family's long history of service.

Dean Irwin, Year 6, and his younger brother Aiden, Year 3, both stood tall in the leadup to the holidays as they went to school wearing the medals earned by their great-grandfather Sydney Thomas Popplewell, and great-great-grandfather George Buxton Popplewell.

"I love it when mum tells us about their lives and how brave they were to voluntarily enlist to go to war," Dean said.

"We feel very proud and lucky," Aiden said.

Their great-great-grandfather George voluntarily enlisted for WWI at 21 years old, and boarded the HMAT Uganda to the battlefront in November, 1917.

ANZAC Hero George Buxton Popplewell
George Buxton Popplewell (left) with his brother.

He spent his four years of service in France and later Egypt - protecting the Suez Canal - and was both a foot soldier and a highly skilled leather worker for the cavalry.

His son, Sydney, voluntarily enlisted for WWII at 20 years old, and spent around two years in Papua New Guinea stationed atop the Kokoda Trail to protect Port Moresby. He was a skilled leatherworker just like his father.

Sydney shared his stories with his granddaughter Stacey, who today continues to pass those stories onto her own children, Dean and Aiden.

"Sadly, Dean never got to meet Sydney, as he passed away only a year before Dean was born," Ms Cottle said.

"Sydney and George were both heavily involved with their RSL, and every year since they were born both the boys have attended the Sydney March and laid a wreath for both of their grandfathers."

ANZAC Hero Sydney Thomas Popplewell
Sydney Thomas Popplewell.

Dean said that through his school studies, he has learned "mostly about the bravery that it took to go to war, [and] the sacrifices that people made to give us freedom".

"It is a good feeling to know my grandfathers made a difference," he said.

Each year St Canice's staff and students take part in the Anzac March in Katoomba and lay a wreath at the memorial. The school also holds a prayer assembly and hear Anzac stories from members of their community.

Alison Morley, art teacher at St Canice's, said that students have been observant and respectful while learning about Anzac history in recent classes through picture books and poems.

"Kids become very sombre and want to know the stories, but find it hard to know the stories sometimes," she said.

The school is also close with Indigenous Elder Aunty Carol Cooper, who may attend the assembly and will be carrying on the memory of her father Harold Gilbert 'Digger' Cooper, who served as a gunner in WWII.

ANZAC Day at St Canice's Catholic Primary Katoomba
Dean Irwin (Year 6) and Aiden Irwin (Year 3) with their great grandfather's medals, and Ms Colleen Bourke with a photo of her ANZAC relative.