News
11 November, 2026
War heroes not ‘mythic figures from a story book’
People who have fought for Australia are not “mythic figures from a story book” but real people who walked the same streets, went to the same parks and looked at the same Southern Highlands sky.
People who have fought for Australia are not “mythic figures from a story book” but real people who walked the same streets, went to the same parks and looked at the same Southern Highlands sky.
Amanda McMillan from the Bowral RSL Sub-branch used her Remembrance Day address in Bowral to bring the focus back to three local brothers who served in the Second World War.
Mrs McMillan said Arthur, Murray and Hubert McMillan had all answered the call and had “quietly put aside their civilian lives, their ambitions and the comforts of home” when the country faced its darkest hours.
Mrs McMillan said the brothers “shared the mud, the danger and the heavy mantle of service” and “embodied the very spirit of mateship and quiet resilience that we celebrate today”.
“They fought not out of hatred for what was in front of them, but out of a deep, protective love for the people and the town they left behind.
“The world that the McMillan brothers returned to – and the world we inherit today – was shaped directly by their willingness to stand in the gap,” Mrs McMillan said.
“Because of them, and because of thousands like them, Bowral remained a place where children could grow up in peace, where communities could thrive and where freedom was not a dream but a daily reality.”
Mrs McMillan said it was important for young people to remember that people like Arthur, Murray and Hubert McMillan were not mythic figures but people who lived locally and “loved life as much as do you”.
“Our responsibility today is to carry their torch.
“We do that by looking after our modern veterans – those who have returned from recent conflicts, from peacekeeping missions and those who continue to serve in our defence forces today.
“We must ensure when their service ends, our gratitude and support do not,” Mrs McMillan said.
“We also carry that torch by guarding the democracy, the freedom and the kindness they defended so fiercely.”
Mrs McMillian – who served with the Australian Air Force – told The Southern Wire after Wednesday’s service that she was not related to the McMillan brothers but the shared surname had piqued her interest.
Wingecarribee Shire Council was represented at the service by Mayor Erin Foley, who was wearing her father’s Vietnam War medals.
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Read More: Southern Highlands, Bowral