Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

On 25 April this year Australia celebrated the centenary of the landing of Australian troops at Gallipoli, a landing that has become one of the most significant events in Australia's history. Throughout Australia record crowds attended Anzac Day services. In the Shortland electorate there were dawn services at Swansea, Pelican, Catherine Hill Bay, Dudley and Doyalson. In addition, there were services later in the morning at Belmont, Redhead, Valentine, Swansea, Gwandalan and Doyalson. Some of those services were accompanied by marches. There is always a march at the Pelican dawn service. It is quite eerie to see emerging from the fog that clouds the road in the morning diggers from the Second World War and other conflicts Australia has been involved in. It never ceases to make my heart beat a little faster and a tear come to the corner of my eye.

At Belmont there is always a march. Members of that community, schoolchildren and young people march in Belmont. Swansea was very special to me this year. I often join in the march at Swansea, and this year was no exception. One of my very dear friends, a gentleman who is 96 years old, I think went in his last Anzac Day march. He was unable to walk this year, but his grandson came from Melbourne and pushed him in a wheelchair. At the end of the march, it was a real privilege to have my photograph taken with Norm Billton, who fought in New Guinea in the Second World War and who has been a role model to me over the years.

I would like to thank all those people who attended the Anzac ceremonies to honour our Anzacs and ex-service men and women. I also want to put on the record my thanks to the Shortland Centenary of Anzac committee, who under the leadership of Allan Bargwanna chose seven outstanding projects to fund and to Lisa McDermott, in my office, who made sure that everything ran on track.

The interesting thing about Anzac Day is that it is not a celebration of a great victory. Rather, it is a day when our nation focuses on defeat. We remember and pay tribute to those young Australians who braved the shores of Gallipoli in an operation that was doomed before it even started. In its 100th year I think it is important to analyse why Anzac Day is so fundamental to our Australian identity and the Australian ethos. The iconic status of Anzac Day is demonstrated every year when Australians, no matter where they are, pause to remember and honour those brave men who landed at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. We also remember all Australian service men and women.

It has become a rite of passage for all young Australians to visit Gallipoli, and that shows just how significant that landing was. It can be argued that one factor that can be attributed to the iconic status of Anzac Day is that, at the time of the landing at Gallipoli, Australia had been a nation for barely 14 years. It was a nation in its infancy, one that still saw itself as a British colony. It can be argued that it was that landing by Australian soldiers on the rugged peninsula at Gallipoli that was really the birthplace of our nation. The Gallipoli campaign was the first major campaign where Australian and New Zealand troops fought under their own commanders and, for the first time, we had Australian troops fighting as Australians for Australia.

It was a battle that took an enormous toll. After eight months from the day of the first Gallipoli landing, over 8,700 of these soldiers were killed. Many died of wounds or disease on the battlefields at Gallipoli. Signaller Ellis Silas of the 16th Battalion AIF at Gallipoli reflected on the casualties suffered by the battalion. He wrote:

The roll is called—how heart-breaking it is—name after name is called; the reply a deep silence which can be felt, despite the noise of the incessant crackling of rifles and screaming of shrapnel—there are few of us left to answer to our names—just a thin line of weary, ashen-faced men; behind us a mass of silent forms, once our comrades—there they have been for some days, we have not had the time to bury them.

We can only imagine the despair and marvel at the determination and spirit of those brave men who refused to take a backwards step against almost impossible odds. As the sun set on that first day, approximately 2,000 Australians lay wounded or dead.

Despite the campaign being a disaster, Australian troops at Gallipoli showed courage, fortitude and military competence. These gallant men epitomised the values all Australian's treasure—courage, mateship, compassion, strength in adversity, loyalty and the spirit to endure. Once again, when we are considering the significance and iconic status of Anzac Day in Australia's history, it is significant that these characteristics are the characteristics that Australians value and that epitomise our self-image. It can be argued that the characteristics displayed by our Anzacs at Gallipoli were the same characteristics that had led to Australia moving from being a penal colony to becoming a nation.

The Australian soldiers that landed at Gallipoli allowed Australians to demonstrate to the world those characteristic and values. As a consequence, they became the values that were attributed to Australians world-wide. Our Anzacs epitomised what it means to be Australian. Our Anzacs were respected and honoured by our enemies. This was demonstrated in the words of the Turkish General Ataturk who said:

You, the mothers, who sent their sons from far away countries, wipe away your tears.

Your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace.

After having lost their lives on this land, they have become our sons as well.

The Turkish people will never forget our brave young Anzacs and nor will we.

On Anzac Day we particularly remember all those who fought in World War I, and particularly those who fought at Gallipoli and on the Western Front. My grandmother was engaged to a soldier who went to Gallipoli. He managed to leave Gallipoli and then he went to the Western Front where he was killed. This is a common story. World War I saw many Australians lose their lives, and the impact of that left an indelible mark on communities in Shortland and throughout Australia.

I conclude my contribution to this debate with a poem from Bill Charlton, a poet from the Shortland electorate who writes poems about war. This poem demonstrates the impact that World War 1 had on those communities.

They came from Little Pelican,

Marks Point and Belmont South.

From Speers Point to Toronto,

News spread by word of mouth.

Front every town around The Lake

They marched by night and day,

For God, for King and Country,

They went to join the fray.

Shipped off to Gallipoli,

They arrived at Anzac Cove.

Where death would greet them daily,

In a war they came to loathe.

Two miners came from Catho.

Woods and Farr by ;tame.

But they were killed within a month

With this cruel war to blame.

Our brave young men from 'round The Lake

Were with those fighting there.

They stormed the heights and made their mark,

And a name they all would share.

The Anzac Legend there was born,

And our kinfolk played their part.

These brave young soldiers had no peer.

They showed tremendous heart.

Almost a hundred years has passed since then,

But Time has not lessened our pride.

And these diggers will not be forgotten,

While people still mourn side by side.

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