Every step counts: Mount Larcom Sub Branch honours the fallen

1,382 kilometres of commemoration 

As the sun rose over the small Queensland town of Mount Larcom (population: 360), a remarkable act of commemoration unfolded at Golding Park. Community members and local officials joined Mount Larcom RSL Sub Branch for their inaugural “Walk for Our Fallen” event, together conquering a staggering 1,382 kilometres. 

The event is the brainchild of Cyndie Feros, Secretary of Mount Larcom RSL Sub Branch, and her son, Chris who is also the Sub Branch President. The mother-son duo have served together at the Sub Branch since 2018.  

Cyndie’s ties to Defence run deep. Her grandfather, four uncles, husband, brother-in-law, cousin, son-in-law and two children (including Chris) are among those who have served. It’s this connection that prompted the idea for the walk, with each kilometre a tribute to every Australian lost during the Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO) and United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). 

This includes Major Susan Lee Feslche, who served alongside Chris in the early 1990s and is the first and only servicewoman killed in action since WWII.  

But Cyndie wanted to ensure that every service ‘member’ was remembered, with the number of kilometres including the military working dogs too. 

“I really wanted the dogs to be included,” she explains. “They were just out there doing their job, and they deserve to be remembered too.”  

That number totalled 59, but Cyndie couldn’t leave it there. 

“The last kilometre is to recognise all those who have died by suicide since returning home. It was really important to me that we honour them as well,” she says. 

Gladstone Regional Councillors ready to take part in the walk.

More than just a number  

Each team of walkers participating had a goal of 60kms, with each step dedicated to one of the fallen.  

Among those taking part was a walker who travelled 260 kilometres from Woodgate RSL Sub Branch to honour a friend they had lost. 

For every one step, each carried a name, a face and a memory. 

Reflecting on his own service, Chris is aware of how easily life could have been different for him.  

Whilst in the Western Sahara in 1994, he served as a Signals Dispatch Service (SDS) Driver and was involved in a serious truck accident that has required him to undergo 14 brain surgeries, so far.  

“I’m here by the grace of God,” Chris says. “It could so easily have been me.”

Small town, big heart 

Given the small number of people who call Mount Larcom home, the turnout for the walk was a testament to the hard work of Cyndie, Chris and the entire Sub Branch.  

Participants travelled from across Queensland, with some even travelling from Western Australia, to be a part of the event, proof of the tight-knit bonds within the community.  

Volunteers also stepped in to make sure everyone was taken care of with meals, morning tea and water stations set up inside the Sub Branch and around the circuit.  

Support also came from unexpected places.  

Dulux donated 27 litres of paint for the creation of soldier silhouettes that lined the route, and the Federal Member for Flynn, Colin Boyce MP personally funded a commemorative plaque that listed all of the fallen service people and animals and was unveiled in the Sub Branch’s memorial garden. 

“The generosity of our community really shows that commemoration isn’t something the Sub Branch carries alone, the whole community carries it with us,” Cyndie says. 

Hoping this marks the start of an annual tradition, Cyndie is already making plans for a second walkathon in May 2027.

Mount Larcom memorial plaque

The message behind the miles 

When asked what she hoped people have taken away from the walk, Cyndie’s answer was immediate: awareness. 

“I don’t think everybody realises the number of people who gave their lives to serve our country,” she says. “It’s about education and awareness, and appreciation of what people sacrificed.” 

It is a message that resonates far beyond Mount Larcom. This year, more than 500 people attended the Sub Branch’s ANZAC Day services – an impressive increase from just 20 people in previous years. Their annual veterans' dinner is also attended by local politicians, RSL Queensland staff and veterans from across Australia. 

For Cyndie, Chris and the members of Mount Larcom RSL Sub Branch, the “Walk for Our Fallen” is more than an event – it is a promise that no matter how small the town, or how distant the battlefield, those who did not come home will not be forgotten.