Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am very pleased to be speaking on this bill today. I note that previous speakers also acknowledge the remarkable role of the War Memorial, and also, quite rightly, the many commemorations around the country that have occurred and are occurring with the Centenary of Anzac. I too will be touching on many of those events in my electorate.

It is certainly case that the War Memorial here in Canberra, in our nation's capital, commemorates the service and sacrifice of Australian service men and women who have died in the wars and conflicts in which Australia has participated. It is, indeed, a cultural institution of great international standing. It is of huge significance to Australians. The primary mission of the War Memorial is to assist Australians to remember, interpret and understand the Australian experience of war and its enduring impact upon our society.

In reference to this bill specifically—as we have heard the previous speakers say—it amends the Australian War Memorial Act to prohibit the levying of entry or parking fees at the memorial premises in Campbell, where it is located. This is a very important initiative that I support.

The Australian War Memorial was officially opened on Remembrance Day, 11 November 1941, by the then Governor-General, Lord Gowrie, himself a former soldier whose honours included the Victoria Cross. As we know, the War Memorial is a magnificent institution. It has three very distinct sections. The shrine, which is a commemorative area, includes the Hall of Memory and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It is an amazing premises. It is very moving when you are in there and see the whole shrine and the entire area.

It also has other galleries which consist of the museum and the research centre. We have heard some previous speakers talk about some of the wonderful upgrades to those particular areas. There is also an outdoor sculpture garden. These are very distinct areas that provide great information and wonderful areas of reflection for visitors. Indeed, this amazing military museum is widely regarded as one of the most significant memorials of its type in the world, which we should be all be very proud of.

During times of reflection, the Australian War Memorial is quite rightly the nation's central focus. But it is only part of a much wider appreciation displayed right around the country for those brave men and women who served our nation. That appreciation can be seen in towns and other countries, particularly on Anzac Day and Remembrance Day.

The Anzac Centenary is also very significant. It is a milestone of very special significance to all Australians and one that will be recognised and commemorated around the nation. It is the centenary of Australia's involvement in the First World War. The Anzac Centenary aims to encourage all Australians to reflect upon and learn more about Australia's military history and its impacts upon our nation and our communities and families. During the Anzac Centenary, we will remember not only the original Anzacs who served at Gallipoli; we will commemorate more than a century of service by Australian service men and women. The Anzac Centenary Program encompasses all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations in which Australians have been involved. The program aims to give all Australians the opportunity to honour the service and sacrifice of those who served our country, including the more than 102,000 who have made the supreme sacrifice.

As we have heard previous speakers say today, it was the previous Labor government that established the Anzac Centenary Advisory Board in October 2011 to provide strategic advice and recommendations on the development of a program of commemorative activities for the Anzac Centenary.

An initiative from this was the undertaking to insist and encourage communities right across the nation through the Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program to carry out their own Anzac Centenary projects. These projects were to commemorate the service and sacrifice of Australian service men and women in the First World War. These particular grants are really a fantastic initiative. I note also from previous speakers today the very strong bipartisanship from the current government and all members in terms of this wonderful program in which we are seeing $125,000 being allocated per electorate for these very important commemorations—commemorations that will reflect each electorate's local communities and the different ways that they wish to commemorate this.

I would like to refer to some of the projects and the committee and the individuals involved to my electorate of Richmond. I had initially contacted the local RSLs asking their organisations to of course play a very vital role on the Richmond electorate committee for the Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program. The response was immediate and very enthusiastic. The committee, of course, once appointed, met straight away to begin the consultation process with their community and to develop an approach to commemorate the centenary which best represented their communities use.

The electorate committee of Richmond was chaired by Dr John Griffin, Secretary of the Tweed Heads and Coolangatta RSL Sub-Branch. I would like to particularly thank and acknowledge the wonderful work of Dr John not just in the Tweed Heads RSL particularly on this committee. It was outstanding working with the RSLs and other community groups as well. Of course, many applications were received from a whole range of very diverse organisations—schools, RSL organisations, RSL care centres, theatre groups, local artists. It was fantastic to see the diversity.

The RSLs became the focal point to assist community groups with their application and assistance in the promotion of the program. This was also provided by local councils and schools through their newsletters and of course also by the local media. All these organisations and individuals called on to assist did so with great enthusiasm, which is a real testament to their support of what is a very worthy initiative.

I would like to mention some of the wonderful applications and projects the Richmond committee have put forward for consideration, some of which have been announced and some not announced yet. They are a great array and it really shows the diversity of projects and ideas that they have. First of all is the Byron Bay RSL Sub-Branch with the support of the local community put forward their project to refurbish the existing First World War Memorial Gates and build a sheltered cenotaph for ex-service personnel, veterans and local communities to commemorate Anzac Day. There have been extremely generous offers of in-kind support and donations for the project. This demonstrates the high level of support for the project right throughout the local community.

A similar project is the upgrade of the war memorial at Cudgen Public School. Indeed, Cudgen school has a very long and proud association with the Anzac ceremonies and the local community. They have worked very closely with the Kingscliff RSL over the years with respect to this particular project. It has been wonderful to see attendance at this memorial service increase significantly over the years, so they now require a larger and, of course, more focused facility.

The Mullumbimby RSL has put together a proposal for a wonderful art exhibition which engages World War I descendants and local schoolchildren. A local ceramics artist will conduct the workshops and the artwork will be displayed locally for all of the community to enjoy. So it is a great project that will be really hands-on and involve a lot of locals.

Another wonderful initiative of the Mullumbimby community is the application made by the Drill Hall Theatre Company. The Drill Hall itself, it is interesting to note, may possibly be one of the only remaining buildings in the Richmond electorate to have been built for the training of soldiers for World War I. The Drill Hall Theatre Company is commissioning a play called 'The Signaller', which is about a young soldier who enlists in the Australian Light Horse just before meeting and falling in love with his young wife. The play will provide nine evening performances for the general public and four matinee performances for the elderly and also for schoolchildren. Again, another wonderful and very different initiative but it is great to see that happening.

The Murwillumbah RSL have undertaken to compile a Tweed roll of honour before World War I. The roll of honour will consist of those who originated from the Tweed and served with the AIF in World War I. This project will be displayed for the community to view at local service clubs, shopping malls and local shire offices. It is wonderful to have that roll of honour in such an array of different places.

I would also like to comment on the Tweed Heads and Coolangatta RSL and their proposal, which is a very worthy project of quite grand proportions. Their proposal is to re-enact the Gallipoli landing at Jack Evans boat harbour in Tweed Heads. I am very enthusiastic about this project. It is very exciting and has a huge amount of local support. It is a very large undertaking. When we were first talking about this project and word spread about it, early predictions were that more than 10,000 people would be likely to attend. They already have huge numbers at the dawn services. Now some people are saying that perhaps up to 20,000 will be involved because of the size, scale and location, and the interest that people have in attending to commemorate and remember.

The project was conceived to portray the Anzacs by re-enacting the Gallipoli landing, preceding the dawn service, using this wonderful boat harbour at Tweed Heads. It will be a significant event and it has support from a wide range of groups in the community—the local RSL, the surf clubs, all the local clubs, the council and local police from both sides of the border. New South Wales and Queensland police will assist with traffic management on the day. The project is also looking to have a live video feed of the event strategically placed so all those in attendance will be able to properly view the occasion. This reflects the fact that they are expecting such a large number of people and they do not want anyone to miss out on the great occasion. They want a live video feed on a number of screens around the boat harbour.

Congratulations to them and to all the applications that were put together. I think it shows the great array of different and wonderful ideas they have to commemorate the Centenary of Anzac. They are all very significant events for the electorate, as I am sure they will be in all electorates throughout the country. Next year at a variety of times, communities will gather to remember the sacrifices of those who served and died in wars and conflicts. Indeed, there are lots of other wonderful events throughout my community as I am sure there will be in other electorates, with lots of RSLs and groups looking at organising events. All of these ceremonies with their symbols of commemoration will help us remember the sacrifices that have been made.

These events reflect the permanent work that we see at the War Memorial, and the important role the War Memorial plays. It is often a highlight for schoolchildren from my electorate when they visit Canberra and the many other people from my electorate who visit here. It is absolutely one of their highlights. Quite rightly, the War Memorial is regarded as a special and unique place. The exhibitions in the memorial's galleries take advantage of the exceptional and diverse national collection to deliver some very interesting interactive visitor experiences that are engaging, informative and educational. What is also important is the commemorative focus. The memorial provides a very personal link and an emotive experience for those served the nation in times of war. It is important for families and descendants to be able to find out information and to have the time for reflection.

I, like others, have been pleased to speak about the wonderful benefits the War Memorial brings to our nation. I support the Australian War Memorial Amendment Bill 2014. It amends the Australian War Memorial Act to prohibit the levying of entry or parking fees at the War Memorial premises. In conclusion, I commend this bill to the House, as we continue to recognise the role that the War Memorial plays within our community and congratulate them for the extensions and improvements to it. I particularly note around the country all those individuals and organisations involved with the ongoing services to commemorate all those who served our nation.

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