On Monday 21 November, a delegation of “Bretons-Villois” led by their Mayor, Mr. Patrick Simon, and organised by Mr. Sylvain Tate, president of the twinning committee with Robinvale, came to Melbourne Town Hall. They were greeted by the Deputy Mayor of Melbourne, Cr. Arron Wood who poignantly talked about his own family connections with the Northern France battlefields…

Early in the twentieth century, the Victorian school children had collected pennies to rebuild the school of Villers-Bretonneux that had been destroyed after World War One. To this day, the school, located on Melbourne Street and named ECOLE VICTORIA, displays a banner in its playground that says:  “Let us never forget Australia” .

A lovely function, organised by the City of Melbourne Protocol Director, Mr. Jean-François Piery, was held in presence of H. E. Mr. Christophe Penot, Ambassador of France to Australia, Ms. Myriam Boisbouvier-Wylie, Honorary Consul General of France in Melbourne and a selection of local community  representatives.

M. Boisbouvier-Wylie, A. Wood, P. Simon , C. Penot