Bairnsdale Lions Club was proud to host Tim Bull, committee chairman of the Arthur Grassby Scholarship Awards, at its dinner meeting at the
Bairnsdale Bowling Club in December.
Mr Bull was joined by Bairnsdale Secondary College scholarship recipients Bess Smith-Entink, Lily Townsend, Tajwyn Corbin and Lions President, Len Mayo.
The three students spoke on behalf of the other students who walked in the shoes of Gippsland soldiers while completing the Kokoda Trail as part of their scholarship experience.
The scholarships are made available by the fundraising of a local volunteer committee that
has strong East Gippsland business and community group support.
Bairnsdale Lions Club has contributed $1000 to this cause each year. To apply students had to write an essay outlining what the Kokoda campaign means to Australia, what it means to them and also touch on the Gippsland connection.
The applicants were then shortlisted for interviews and presented in front of a panel that contained three ex-service men and women, one each from the army, navy and air force.
Arthur Grassby was in B Company of the 39th, meaning he was in the first 120 Australians to face the first wave of Japanese (200 strong) at Kokoda.
He survived that confrontation to be later wounded at the battle of Isurava and have his body racked with malaria.
He was just 16 at the time and was eventually repatriated back to Australia and Bairnsdale where he passed away at the age of 94 in 2020.
