Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 9 November 1914 the Australian cruiser HMAS Sydney defeated the German light cruiser SMS Emden in a naval battle off the Cocos Keeling Islands. At the end of the battle the Emden lay wrecked on North Keeling Island and our nation had its first naval victory of the First World War. That was 100 years ago. I thank the Prime Minister for giving me the honour of representing him and the Australian government at the 100th anniversary commemoration. There were two main events, being the 8 November opening of the Sydney-Emden Gazebo on Direction Island, which I conducted with His Excellency Sir Peter Cosgrove, the Governor General, and the 9 November official memorial service at the new Sydney-Emden Memorial on West Island.

I take this opportunity to thank Amber Watters, the Sydney-Emden 100 project manager, for the outstanding organisation of the series of events that made up the commemorative program on the Cocos Islands. Amber and her team did an excellent job. I also thank and congratulate Lieutenant Commander Desmond Woods, the Navy Staff Officer for the Centenary of ANZAC. He did a great job with the planning of the commemorative service on 9 November. I also thank the entire population of the Cocos Islands, West and Home islands, for their wonderful hospitality and the manner in which they added to this nationally important commemoration. I also acknowledge Rear Admiral retired Henning Bess and the members of the Emden family, descendants of the Emden crew, who came from Germany to participate, and the family members descendent from the HMAS Sydney crew, along with other visitors involved in the commemoration.