The legacy of the late Corporal Cameron Baird will live on in Hume after the council decided to name a community building in his honour.
The pavilion at the Jack Ginifer Reserve will be named the Cameron Baird VC Pavilion in memory of the Gladstone Park-born and raised Australian Defence Force soldier who was killed during combat in Afghanistan two years ago.
Corporal Baird’s life-long best friend Christian Dyer was behind the naming proposal.
A few weeks after his best mate of almost 30 years died on the battlefield, Mr Dyer emailed the council requesting that it honour Corporal Baird in a permanent way. He was thrilled the council had followed through with his request.
“It’s a great way to honour Cameron; he paid the ultimate sacrifice,” Mr Dyer said. “It’s very fitting. That oval played a massive part in his life; we used to ride our bikes down there and he used to live just a few hundred metres away.”
Mr Dyer said his friend’s death in June 2013 felt like losing a brother. He has since helped set up ‘Cam’s Cause’ in his memory – an organisation that raises money for the families of Special Force Operations Command personnel after their death or serious injury.
The organisation will cover the cost of new signage and a plaque at the pavilion.
A fundraising event will be held this Saturday from 6.30pm at the Keilor Hotel,
670 Old Calder Highway, Keilor.
Tickets: bit.ly/1T7XmTm
