The small port city of Albany in the Great Southern region of Western Australia might be a long way from Gold Coast City but Robina’s Australian Industry Trade College (AITC) are helping these two places form a friendship.

Albany is better known as the oldest settled town in Western Australia and a popular tourist destination due to it’s heritage preservation and natural beauty. Albany also has a rich ANZAC history, being the port where a convoy of 38 ships carrying Australian Imperial Force and the New Zealand Expeditionary Force to engagement in World War 1 left on November 1,1914.

This year marks 100 years since the November 1st departure and Australia will commemorate this historic happening with various events to be held in Albany, including troop marches, commemorative services, naval vessel gathering and visits of ships. The convoy’s departure will be re-enacted and will gain national media coverage and the little port city of Albany, with population of 35,000 and one solo set of traffic lights, is set to swell to more than twice the size during the centenary celebrations.

The team at AITC in Robina have been working hard, researching families in Gold Coast City and the wider Queensland region to identify servicemen that took part in this convoy. As part of the 100 year commemorations, eight AITC ANZAC ambassadors will travel to Albany, WA, along with four AITC staff members, to represent AITC and local Gold Coast City and Queensland families who are deeply connected to this historic event.

According to AITC CEO Mark Hands, the AITC ANZAC Ambassadors Project gives a representative group of AITC young people the opportunity to be involved with a centenary event that is intrinsic to the Australian Industry Trade College culture and values.

“Our team of 8 young people and 4 staff will be ambassadors for the College and representatives of the Queensland families who have lost loved ones on foreign shores. We aim to each have a family to represent in the Albany commemorative events this October” Hands said.

Donations for the ANZAC Ambassadors Project can be made at Go Fundraise – Albany Project, as well as each student’s personal Go Fundraise account, where they have set individual fundraising targets.

Robina’s AITC are doing Queensland proud as the institution that is delivering learning differently, this time through their ANZAC Ambassadors Project, dedicated to honouring history for Gold Coast City families.

Be sure to drop by their fundraising page and make a donation for this very worthy cause.