Former Parkes resident, Colonel Mudie received his commission in the Australian Army in 2000, graduating from the Royal Military College of Australia as a Lieutenant in the Royal Australian Corps of Signals.
Special guests of honour at the Parkes Anzac Day 2026 commemorations this Saturday 25 April, will be Australian Army Colonel Michael Robert Mudie and his wife Kelly.
The day will commence with the traditional dawn service at 5.30am held at Parkes Memorial Hill. Colonel Mudie will lay a wreath on behalf of the Australian Army. This event will see students from the Parkes Christian School MC the morning’s event.
Following the dawn service, an Anzac Day breakfast will be held at the Parkes Services & Citizens Club.
The Anzac Day March will commence at 8.35am under the watchful eye of Parade Commander Sgt Wayne Skinner. The march will depart from the front of the club in Short Street and it progress up Welcome Street to Chamberlain Square in Clarinda Street, where it will then turn right and proceed down Clarinda Street, before turning right into Short Street and coming to a halt outside the Parkes Services & Citizens Club.
At 9am the Anzac Day commemoration service will be held in Cooke Park in front of the Cenotaph. Assisted by Parkes Shire Council, the commemoration service will feature an address from both local youth and the special guest of honour, Colonel Mudie. Wreaths will then be placed at the Cenotaph.
At approximately 10.30am a small delegation of returned service personnel and local dignitaries proceed to the war graves section at the local cemetery for a brief service and laying of wreaths.
Colonel Mudie will attend and address the traditional Anzac Day luncheon which is held at the Parkes Services & Citizens Club commencing at 12 noon.
The Colonel’s final duty on Anzac Day will be at 5pm for the “Retreat” and this event takes place once again at the Cenotaph in Cooke Park, with the Parkes Services Club to sound the ODE at 6pm.