What’s happening?
Students at Toowoomba’s Clifford Park Special School will hear a special Anzac Day address on Friday, April 24 from Mr Paul Dobbyn.
The talk will reflect on sacrifice, service and remembrance ahead of Anzac Day on Saturday, April 25.
As part of the visit, a Year 10 class will also hear about one family’s wartime story through the book War Spoils.
Only a few lines from the address are being shared ahead of the day.
One of them asks a direct question about service and sacrifice: “Would I love my country and its people enough to do the same?”
Another part reflects on the Unknown Soldier and the ordinary Australians behind the nation’s military history.
Why it matters?
The address brings Anzac Day closer to students by linking national history with one family’s experience across two world wars.
It also shows that remembrance is not only about major battles, but also about local families, schools and communities.
Through War Spoils, students will hear how military service shaped one Toowoomba-connected family across generations.
The speech also encourages young people to think about the real cost of war and the value of freedom.
Local Impact
The address has strong ties to Toowoomba.
Paul’s father Denis Dobbyn and his uncles Brian and Bob were all Old Boys of St Mary’s College.
Last year, Paul also spoke to about 120 Year 8 students at St Mary’s College, who were preparing to study World War I the following term.
During that visit, he presented a copy of War Spoils to the school library through Humanities Head Mitch Keogh.
Paul said he was probably the first Dobbyn to set foot on the St Mary’s campus in 80 years.
His uncle Brian, now 97, was described as an extremely old, and possibly the oldest, Old Boy.
The family’s Toowoomba links also include Pilot Officer Robert Dobbyn, who died in 1944 when his aircraft was shot down in France.
By the numbers
- About 120 Year 8 students at St Mary’s College heard Paul speak last year before beginning their World War I studies.
- Three Dobbyn family members connected to Paul, Denis, Brian and Bob were Old Boys of St Mary’s College, showing the family’s deep link to the school.
- 409 World War I names are listed on the Mothers Memorial in East Creek Park for Toowoomba and the surrounding districts.
- 251 World War II names are also recorded on the memorial, including Pilot Officer Robert Dobbyn.
Zoom In
At the heart of the address is a family story shaped by war, loss and remembrance.
Paul will speak about his grandfather, father and uncle, whose lives and service history inspired War Spoils.
The book includes a poem, his grandfather’s World War I journal and a 2015 blog recreating his uncle Bob’s final flight in World War II.
That personal history has already been shared with Toowoomba students before.
Paul’s earlier visit to St Mary’s gave Year 8 students a closer look at how one family’s wartime experience can connect directly with the history they study in class.
One line from the Anzac address captures that tone: “I am every Australian serviceman… I am the Unknown Soldier.”
Zoom Out
The speech also places Toowoomba within the broader Anzac story.
It reaches back to the Gallipoli landing on April 25, 1915, and connects that history to later conflicts.
It reminds students that service came from ordinary Australians, including people who once lived, studied and worked in their own city.
The address also points to Toowoomba’s wartime role during World War II, from training and logistics to medical services and rest support.
It suggests that many local families may still have military stories waiting to be uncovered.
What To Look For Next?
When Paul delivers the address on April 24, students at Clifford Park Special School will hear a local and personal reflection on Anzac Day.
The visit may also build on the interest already sparked through his earlier St Mary’s talk and encourage more young people to explore Toowoomba’s wartime history and their own family connections.