Fiona Scott (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

He is a comedian as well!

An honourable member interjecting—

He is a Tasmanian. Deputy Speaker, I would also like to acknowledge today in the chamber the presence of my good friend the brigadier, the member for Bass. He has served our great nation in Afghanistan, Syria, South Lebanon and Iraq.

Today we rise to speak in a bipartisan manner on a dignified motion put forward by the member for Higgins. The legend of Anzac embodies the spirit of our country, rising out of the Boer War diggers and enshrined on the bloodstained shores of Gallipoli. Together with our brothers and sisters across the Tasman, we joined forces and service, and far, far too many of our young men made the supreme sacrifice. Through our united toils and tribulations, the unique qualities of the Anzacs stand clear. In the words of Charles Bean:

… Anzac stood, and still stands, for reckless valour in a good cause, for enterprise, resourcefulness, fidelity, comradeship, and endurance that will never own defeat.

I would like to add to that list courage, sacrifice, ingenuity, good humour, larrikinism and, of course, mateship. Gallipoli's coming just 14 years after the Federation of our country marked a defining moment in the formation of our nation's identity.

I would like to acknowledge the men and women from the Lindsay community who served. According to the AIF project database, around 352 Australian Imperial Force personnel enlisted with an address in the Lindsay electorate at the time of enlistment, including 246 from Penrith, three from Castlereagh, three from Llandilo, 20 from Emu Plains, seven from Mulgoa, three from Colyton, 64 from St Marys and six from Werrington.

It is true when they say that men were drawn from the smallest of towns and the biggest of cities. In a small town to the south of my electorate, a village called Luddenham, we saw Arthur Booth, Sid Willmington, Jim Roots and many of their mates go off to war. Even to this day, there is a picture of these men, who formed the Luddenham light horse brigade. When Arthur Booth was in Australia, he graded both Mulgoa Road and the Northern Road. He was my great-grandfather. Jim Roots was a legend that lived for over 100 years. He was a local butcher and from 1911 had a butcher's run. And Sid Willmington? He worked at the Luddenham post office. They were truly men of small towns.

I would also like to acknowledge today the $125,000 grant that will go towards our community to acknowledge the service of so many Anzacs who gave their life and their time, leaving from outer western Sydney. I also thank for their work the committee who have served to ensure that we make a good tribute and that the tribute that we provide from our region will appropriately mark the 100th anniversary of Anzac. They include Neville Barnier, Tony Fryer, Faye Lopo, Gary Rumble, Marilyn Stacey, Alan Travers and Erik Weller. I would like to thank them for their service. The Anzac soldiers have helped define us as a people and as a nation. In doing so, I would like to finish with a poem, We're all Australians now by Banjo Paterson. Banjo Paterson's war poetry so often—I possibly biased—tells us of the visions and form so much of our nation's past and future. The poem reads:2

So now we'll toast the Third Brigade,

That led Australia's van,

For never shall their glory fade

In minds Australian.

Fight on, fight on, unflinchingly,

Till right and justice reign.

Fight on, fight on, till Victory

Shall send you home again.

And with Australia's flag shall fly

A spray of wattle bough,

To symbolise our unity,

We're all Australians now.

See this speech in context