Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Just before Anzac Day this year, I received a message from a woman in my electorate who had found an old book of quotes in her garage. Her grandfather had carried this book in his pocket throughout his service in the First World War. And while he had made many notes in the book, there must have been one quote that stood out for him amongst the rest because he had branded this with a big star. The quote says:

Their valour gave them a united death, History has given them a united fame, Posterity, a united monument.

I do not know who or what battle these words refer to, but they may as well have been written to describe our Anzacs and the sacrifice they made 100 years ago.

War was declared on 4 August 1914. Within weeks, more than 1,500 men from Queensland and New South Wales had enlisted. There was no social media back then. Not many people travelled long distances for work or holidays like we do today, and so joining the army gave young Australians the promise of adventure. They became the 9th Battalion and the 2nd Light Horse. They formed up at Enoggera and men of the 9th were amongst the first to shore on Anzac Cove on the morning of 25 April 1915.

When the First World War began, most areas in my electorate of Petrie, like the Redcliffe Peninsula and Deception Bay, were just tiny seaside settlements, and the region immediately inland was devoted to farming. But even these tiny settlements were touched by war. Men enlisted from Burpengary, the Redcliffe Peninsula and several other North Brisbane suburbs. One in five Australians who enlisted at that time would perish in Gallipoli, Belgium, France and parts of the Middle East. Throughout Australia and my electorate of Petrie, there are many people whose family histories have been shaken by the First World War and the Anzac's ill-fated landing at Gallipoli. On too many family trees, branches were cut short.

In my own family we had my great grandfather, John Patrick Sexton, who joined the AIF in Bendigo and was assigned to the 38th Infantry Battalion. John Sexton did his training at Epsom race course in Bendigo and was deployed to France 20 June 1916 at just 21 years of age. He set sail from Melbourne and arrived in Plymouth in Western Australia on 10 August 1916. From there, he and his battalion began the slow journey to Europe. My great grandfather fought in the bloody battles of Ypres and Passchendaele in Belgium. During his service, he was partially gassed and suffered greatly from the resulting injuries although he was one of the lucky ones. He passed away at the age of 65.

Their valour gave them a united death. History has given them a united fame. Posterity, a united monument.

In the speeches by my fellow colleagues, we have heard so much about the Anzac's valour. We have heard about the famed Anzac spirit. And I am proud to say that the freedom we enjoy today, the freedom that will be treasured in posterity, the freedom that is testimony of the Anzac spirit has been enshrined in numerous projects and memorials throughout my electorate.

On the Mousetrap Theatre stage in Redcliffe, locals told the story of the First World War through the songs of the period in the play, 'It's a Long Way to Tipperary'. I would like to congratulate Director Sandra Hines, Councillor James Houghton who acted in the play, as well as the Mousetrap board, the actors who performed and the volunteers at the theatre. Along Anzac Avenue, through Mango Hill to the Redcliffe Peninsula, Moreton Bay Libraries are filming a documentary of the avenue's construction. The project will also see the creation of a website with information about the returned servicemen who were involved in the construction.

A plan for the heritage-listed Anzac Avenue was drafted back in 1921 by Thomas Rothwell, a successful Brisbane businessman and then president of the RACQ. Around 50 returned servicemen were employed to construct the road. The opening of the route brought many tourists and settlers to the Redcliffe Peninsula and surrounds, playing a large part in the evolution of Moreton Bay from an inaccessible location to the thriving area north of Brisbane that it is now. Thank you to Moreton Bay Libraries historian Pat Gee, and Kelly Ashford from the Pine Rivers Library for your hard work in getting this project on its feet.

On the Deception Bay foreshore, the Deception Bay RSL Sub-Branch is building a beautiful memorial to commemorate the service of the Anzacs. Prime Minister Tony Abbott recently came up to Deception Bay along with me and we announced this project would proceed. I would like to acknowledge the work of Deception Bay RSL Sub-Branch President Peter Jones, as well as Councillor Peter Flannery and his staff, and, of course, Eddie Budgen, the author of the grant application. On the Redcliffe foreshore, at Anzac Place, the Redcliffe RSL Sub-Branch installed a commemorative plinth and dedicated the memorial at this year's Anzac Day service. I should mention Redcliffe RSL Vice President, John Martin, for his hard work in putting the grant application together.

At Clontarf Beach State School, a commemorative garden was planted outside the school hall, inspired by the nearby Ted Smout Memorial Bridge, which was named in honour of one of Australia's last surviving World War I veterans. I would like to recognise the school's groundsmen, Rick Hayden and Jason Lorde, who built and planted the garden. At the Redcliffe Museum, new display cabinets have been installed to make sure residents and visitors are able to view historic, local artefacts from the First World War. Congratulations to the Moreton Bay Regional Council for getting behind this project.

In Mango Hill and surrounds we saw re-enactments and entertainment at the Mango Hill Anzac Centenary Festival, which was held in the afternoon on Anzac Day this year. Well done to the Mango Hill Progress Association President, Laurence Christie, and his team of volunteers for organizing such a memorable afternoon. I would also like to acknowledge Pine Rivers RSL Deputy President, Ms Judith Kranen OAM, and the Anzac Day Commemoration Committee Vice President, Mr Darryl Neild OAM, for their tremendous support of the festival.

All of these projects were funded by the Australian government's Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program. I would like to thank the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Senator Michael Ronaldson, and all the facilitators of the Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program for making these projects possible.

The Centenary of Anzac commemorates what is greatest in the human spirit, what is noblest in our character, and acknowledges that the worst of times can bring out the best in us. Let us never forget those who gave so much.

Debate interrupted.

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