Karen McNamara (Dobell, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Ryan for bringing this motion to the House. For the last 97 years, 11 November has marked Remembrance Day, honouring the anniversary of Armistice Day—the day the guns fell silent on the Western Front after more than four years of continuous warfare. At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, Allied nations simultaneously pause to consciously and solemnly remember not only those who lost their lives in World War I but all those who have fallen in times of warfare.

World War I mobilised more than 70 million people and saw a death toll somewhere in the vicinity of nine to 13 million people. For Australia, such a young nation with such great hopes, the losses were catastrophic. Out of a population of only 4.9 million in 1914, more than 60,000 Australian lives were lost and 156,000 were wounded, gassed or taken as prisoners of war. Consider for a moment the gravity of that loss. Ponder for a mere moment that as many as one-third of the dead have no known grave, that for each one there was a grieving mother who could not consolidate her loss with a physical burial. Almost an entire generation of young Australian men were wiped out in the most costly conflict in our history.

At the first anniversary of the armistice, King George V made a decree that all people across the British Empire should cease what they are doing at the hour of the Armistice:

… which stayed the world wide carnage of the four preceding years and marked the victory of Right and Freedom.

The anniversary of the armistice—Remembrance Day—has become representative of all the sacrifices made by our armed force to ensure that 'right and freedom' prevail.

We remember and honour our loved ones and, importantly, we remember and honour the fallen who have no name, and here in Canberra the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier lies in the Australian War Memorial's Hall of Memory. The tombs of unknown soldiers across the world all hold their significance in the anonymity of the remains of the soldier. The one soldier who will ever remain unknown is emblematically representative of all fallen soldiers. Across the nation, whether in small community memorial gardens or here in Canberra at the Australian War Memorial, Australians will pause in memory. I and my family will remember in particular my husband's late great-uncle, Private Ernest Marshall Baskerville. He set sail on the RMS Moolton on 11 December 1915 from Sydney as one of the 1 Infantry Battalion 9 to 12 Reinforcements. I have no doubt that, as he watched the Sydney skyline fade into the distance, his heart was full of pride to fight for his country and his head was full of hope for the safe return of himself and his mates. Sadly, Ernest was injured in September 1917 at the battle of Polygon Wood in France. Only a month later, he died of his wounds in the north-west of France at Le Treport. As Ernest's surviving family, we are able to tell his story and honour his sacrifice, knowing where, when and how he died. My heart goes out to those families who are not so fortunate as to know the stories of their loved ones. They do not and may never know where and when and how they fell. This is why Remembrance Day is so important, and why the tomb of the unknown soldier holds such great significance. I have been fortunate enough to visit the final resting place of Ernest. As I paid my respects, I contemplated the wretched heartbreak of so many mothers across the world who lost their sons—some who were mere boys as they marched off so bravely.

On Remembrance Day I along with many other Australians will wear a red poppy as a symbol of my respect and to honour those who have served and are serving in our armed forces. The iconic red Flanders poppy has long been a symbolic part of Remembrance Day. The red poppy was among the first flowers to bloom following the devastation of the battlefields in northern France and Belgium. Lieutenant Colonel John McRae was at the front line during the Battle of Ypres in May 1915. His best friend, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, was killed by a German shell on 2 May 1915 and the following day, Lieutenant Colonel John McRae looked out at the fields of blooming red poppies and penned his famous poem, In Flanders Fields.

May we never forget those who have shed their blood in sacrifice for our country and for the peace of the world. May we respect and honour those who today serve in our armed forces. May we never take for granted the great sacrifices made by those who have gone before us, and by those who are defending and protecting us today and into tomorrow. I urge all Australians to pause at 11 am on 11 November to remember, honour and contemplate the sacrifices and the great loss of life upon which this nation's freedoms and liberties are won.

Lest we forget.

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