Keith Pitt (Hinkler, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is with a great sense of pride that I rise to speak about the Centenary of Anzac and the contribution of the people of Hinkler to the Great War and other conflicts.

I grew up in the Hinkler region hearing stories about the courage, relentlessness and sheer bloody-mindedness of our old people. It was not until I got older myself that I understood the enormity of the loss and the injuries both physical and psychological they received and lived with. Their generation understood sacrifice in a way that I hope my children never have to.

The Centenary of Anzac is an opportunity to reflect on the significant contribution the people of Hinkler made to the Great War and how that fateful day in 1915 shaped our region. Before WWI, Bundaberg Base Hospital had 16 beds to service a community of just 9,000 people. Hervey Bay was little more than a collection of small seaside villages. Men had an average life expectancy of just 55 years and women 58 years. Sugar mills were relatively new and the region also had several juice mills. Locals often talk about how during the Great War the Wide Bay Burnett region was thought to have lost more of its young men per head of population than any other region in the nation. Records show Childers had a population of about 1,200 in the early 1900s. Some 360 local men enlisted; 85 did not return. You only have to look at our local commitment to building and preserving memorials to understand how devastating the Great War must have been to our tight-knit community. The Isis region, for example, has five monuments commemorating the contribution of residents from Cordalba, Apple Tree Creek, Doolbi, Childers and Woodgate. These monuments give us a physical place to reflect on the fortitude shown by our forebears. They came from all walks of life to take on what was billed as an adventure. The battlefields of WWI were anything but a dream; they were, quite simply, a walking nightmare.

I would like to share some of the untold local stories about conflicts Australia has been involved in and to express what Anzac means to Hinkler residents. These contributions are from residents in my electorate in their own words, which were included in my local Centenary of Anzac brochure. Firstly, Alan Larsen, a Vietnam veteran from Toogoom said:

Growing up in the Dawson Valley, I had no idea that I would one day follow in the footsteps of my two great uncles who served in the Light Horse Regiments in WWI.

Just three months before my 19th birthday I crashed my Triumph motorcycle at reckless speed, giving me the kick I needed to hastily enlist in the military.

I commenced recruit training in 1962 before being posted to the 1st Battalion the Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR). It was a life changing experience for a Dululu farm boy, but one I excelled at and revelled in. We were sent to Papua New Guinea in July 1964, and in May 1965 we landed in Vietnam where we were attached to the American 173d Airborne Brigade (Sep) as the third rifle battalion. Our service in Vietnam was to start a new chapter of the ANZAC tradition.

The war had intensified and shortly after our arrival, 1RAR set up Fire Support Base Coral, an operation that lasted for 28 days. I distinctly remember someone singing 'Waltzing Matilda' at the height of battle during the second attack. A month later I was medevaced home with a recurring fever and discharged.

The unique combination of strength, bravery and larrikinism that epitomises the ANZAC spirit lives on in a new wave of military men and women, who are willing to fight to keep this country what it is: a land of true choice and freedom!

Here are the words of Alf Dennis, of Dundowran Beach, who went to Gallipoli for the centenary after the ballot:

On the 25th of April 1915, my father— a stretcher bearer in the 5th Battalion of the Australian Imperial Forces (AIF)—landed on the beach at Gallipoli in Turkey. The slaughter that followed touched every household in Australia. The loss of so many young men is something most would choose not to remember. However, we choose to commemorate that fateful day for several reasons; including the fact it's a means to pay our respects. The Great War changed Australia from being a far flung colony of the mighty British Empire to a proud land of respected people.

Before WWI, Australia was generally considered to be a poor land with a convict background. What followed was a succession of good leaders and the evolution of a unique attitude in its citizens. Today, our way of life is the envy of the world.

Australia cares for its veterans better than any other country in the world. Anzac Day is also a time for diggers like me to be grateful to the citizens who elect governments (of both colours) that honour and support our veterans.

In this changing world, I respectfully ask our new citizens to help maintain what they came here for, and not try to turn it into what they left. To our current and future generations; I thank you for your willingness to continue our Anzac traditions.

Jenny Waldron, of the Bundaberg and District Ex-Service Women's Association said:

I spent three years in Reserves firing weapons and driving trucks, and couldn't believe when I joined the regular Army in 1980 that women there were still expected to wear white summer gloves and could only drive cars or Landrovers. I was one of five girls selected to undertake the same driver training as the men at the Army School of Transport, where debate raged about our postings. A compromise was reached: only one of us would join a field force transport unit and, if successful, the others would follow. That test case was me! I became the first female Royal Australian Corps of Transport (RACT) driver to be posted to a field force unit in the post-WWII era. In addition to being a driver, during my 20 years of service I planned and coordinated vehicles and cargo for all sorts of exercises, operational tasks, humanitarian aid missions and overseas deployments, including those in Somalia, Bougainville and East Timor.

The performance of women of my generation helped pave the way for future generations of service women. Every generation stands on the shoulders of those women that came before, and chips away at it a little bit more. Today, women perform a huge variety of jobs, including commanding ships and operational units.

The 1st Joint Movement Group, which I was a part of when it was first established, was this year awarded a Meritorious Unit Citation on Australia Day for 13 years of sustained and outstanding warlike operational service in the Middle East. Revitalizing and enhancing the War Nurses Memorial in Bundaberg, as part of honouring the Centenary of the First World War, has been my way of paying my respects to our war nurses and to all service women.

I'll leave you with three of the ten commandments issued to the Australian Contingent (IV-UNSOM) in Somalia: be honest in all your dealings; always strive to do your job to the best of your ability and never forget you are representing Australia!

Matthew Louden, of Burnett Heads, said:

I spent 39 years in the Australian Army, serving in tactical, operational and strategic units and organisations. It was a career that required my family to pack up and move across the country on 14 separate occasions. On the upshot, each member of my family is resilient, able to meet new challenges and adapt to change!

My time in the Army was a memorable and enjoyable journey; a worthy life choice. The highlight of my career was being appointed to manage the Australian Defence Force (ADF) ceremonial support activities.

I am immensely proud of my son, Jarad, who is currently serving in the 1st Battalion Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR) in Townsville. Jarad joined the Army in 2005, and has been deployed on operations to East Timor and Afghanistan. His grandfather, Jim, served in the Royal Australian Air Force for 22 years.

Australians searching for the Anzac Spirit need only look in their own backyards. Our family histories speak for themselves.

The final contribution is from Amara Burns, a primary school student at St Joseph's School in Childers. I quote:

I think of Anzac day as a day to stop and remember the people who risked their lives to protect our country and help it become what it is now. Sadly, a lot of people died while protecting our country and that's why on Anzac Day we pay our respects for those who have fought, including those who have died and returned. Anzac Day is a special day to pay our respects and say thank you.

I am proud that so many of my relatives served in WWI and WWII.

I am lucky to have photos of these family members and am lucky to own some of their service medals to remember them.

As dawn broke on 25 April 2015, the Centenary of Anzac, we paused to remember. On Anzac Day and all the year through, we remember the Anzacs. We remember the contribution of our brothers and sisters from New Zealand. We remember the courage, the service and the sacrifices made by Australians in all theatres of war and peacekeeping operations. And we remember Gallipoli, a disastrous campaign but one that displayed our nation's courage for the world to see.

The attendance for the Centenary of Anzac was quite simply incredible, a demonstration of what we hold dear in Australia. When I consider that so many of our veterans, when they went to war, were not much older than some of the children who attended Anzac services, I struggle to adequately express my gratitude to those who have served our country. And, as a father, I am in awe of the parents who waved their sons and daughters goodbye. Our service men and women paid in full for the freedoms we enjoy and the pride we have in our nation. The Centenary of Anzac is a milestone that will only ever happen once. I take this opportunity to pay my respects on behalf of the people of Hinkler. It is the least that we can do. Words quite simply will never be enough. We have not forgotten. Lest we forget.

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