Peace Poles can take many forms, but most are 4 or 6 sided poles with the words ‘May Peace Prevail on Earth’ inscribed on each face. These are in different languages, including the dominant language of the community where the pole is to be placed.
The Naracoorte Peace Pole has four languages. They are in English- our dominant language, Buganditj- representing local indigenous languages, Italian- representing the post WWII immigrants and Dari- a language of the Hazara (Afghan) immigrants and representing the more recent Asian immigrants. The pole is made of local Red gum wood, the dominant tree species of our area. It may be seen at Rotary Park, adjacent to the Naracoorte Swimming Lake.
The half-hour ceremony included a talk on Rotary’s Centenary by District Governor Nominee Ian McKay, an explanation of the Peace Pole Project, and an interactive poem demonstrating the need for peace. These speeches were followed by the students’ responses to peace through poems and peace posters. Alan Killicoat, Assistant Governor for Group 2, outlined Rotary’s promotion of peace throughout its history. We concluded the ceremony by reciting Mahatma Gandhi’s prayer for peace, singing together John Farnham’s “You’re the Voice” and the attendees saying together three times, “May Peace Prevail on Earth!”
The Rotary Club of Naracoorte established this pole to promote peace and to mark the centenary of Rotary in Australia. It was financed by a D9780 Centenary Project Grant.
