The Oxley Residents’ Association (ORA) will commemorate Remembrance Day at the Oxley Memorial Park on Tuesday, 11 November.

This moving event has been held annually in Oxley since it was revived in 2004 and is now an important annual fixture.

The ORA has worked hard to establish the Oxley Memorial Park within the township, and it certainly provides a fitting location to remember the fallen in the numerous wars and conflicts over the past century.

Each year, an ORA sub-committee liaises with the Wangaratta RSL sub-branch to formulate the program for the service.

Oxley resident, Justin Tilson, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan as a member of the RAAF, will emcee the event.

A guest speaker, a catafalque party and the laying of wreaths will add to the significance of the event, and students from the Oxley and Milawa Primary Schools will play an important role in the service.

A "field" of small, white crosses bearing the names of Oxley Shire residents who served in WW1 and WW2 but, sadly, did not return will be set out beside the monument.

Representatives of families from the former Oxley Shire, who had members involved in past conflicts, and members of the general community are warmly invited to attend.

Those attending are asked to assemble by 10.30am, ready for the 10.40am start.

At the conclusion of the service light refreshments will be served at the historic Oxley Shire Hall and after refreshments, those present are invited to visit the Milawa Cemetery, where graves of those who served will be marked with an Australian flag.

Graves which may only be a memorial, to those who were killed in action or died in service, will have a poppy attached to their flag, signifying that the grave may be a memorial only.

A member of the Milawa Cemetery Trust will be present from 1pm until 3pm to offer assistance or information about any of the soldiers and location of their graves.

Sadly, there are several soldiers represented amongst the 114 unknown, unmarked graves located within the cemetery.

For this reason, the Milawa Cemetery Trust has established the Pioneer Memorial Wall at the inside of the entrance gates, which will allow families to attach a plaque in honour of those loved ones who are buried in an unknown location within the cemetery.