A World War I veteran, gentleman farmer and sportsman from Bungendore has been honoured today with the naming of a sports field after him at one of Australia’s leading Defence establishments.
Local grazier Walter Roy Hyles enlisted in 1916 to serve with the Australian Imperial Force as a field artilleryman in Western Europe. Some of his descendants were on hand to witness the field naming ceremony at the General John Baker Complex near Bungendore, NSW.
The Hyles family’s contribution to Australia’s defence is significant; their cooperation with the Federal Government allowed the resumption of the Hyles-owned farmland that the General John Baker Complex now stands on.
Home to Headquarters Joint Operations Command (HQJOC), the Complex employs approximately 400 people and is a major financial contributor to the region.
HQJOC is responsible for the planning and conduct of Australia’s global military operations and joint exercises. Much of the workforce is made up of Army, Navy and Air Force personnel who need access to physical training facilities around the clock to maintain their fitness while keeping the Headquarters open for business 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Chief of Joint Operations Lieutenant General Ash Power said it was fitting to name the base’s sports field after Roy Hyles, who was also a keen sportsman and local legend in golfing and sports-shooting circles.
“Roy Hyles was a quiet man who was strongly connected to his community,” Lieutenant General Power said.
“His service to his country, his involvement in sport and numerous sporting clubs, his devotion to his family and the building of a significant farming estate serves as a reminder to us all how humble people can leave a legacy that future generations will not forget.”
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