Laurie Ferguson (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the outset of my contribution with regard to the 100th anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli I would like to touch on a few local facets. I have heard many speakers previously talk about the large crowds that gathered this year as compared to previous years. I would be dishonest if I said that was the case in my electorate. Ingleburn always attracts thousands of people, that is a reality of having a significant number of army bases in the electorate, or close to it, and the related settlement of people after they left the services. But again this year there were thousands and I want to put on the record my appreciation of the efforts of Ray James, Patrick O'Grady, John Bow, secretary John Lees and John Beer. In a few weeks they will celebrate the move of their club 40 years ago to Chester Road.

I thought the one good aspect this year compared to previous years was the way in which they involved young people from local schools in the actual major speech on the day and in other important aspects. Speaking of the locals, we each had a committee in our electorate to distribute funds and I want to commend David Beddie from the Historical Society, Learna Caypa, Ken Foster, who looks after Vietnam veterans, local councillor and veteran Wal Glynn, Ray James, Vicki Meadows, from my office, and George Sachse for their work. The funded projects connected with the Ingleburn RSL are the wall of remembrance, an ode on the black granite, and a gala day. Casula High School's memorial garden was also funded. We also gave some money to the overall Kangaroo March, which will go through many electorates, and, finally, to the Liverpool City Council for what turned out to be a very valuable effort at the Casula Powerhouse, the Home Front Exhibition.

As I indicated there have been bases in the electorate for quite some time. I guess the most infamous event connected with Werriwa in the First World War was the Liverpool Riot, where a large number of soldiers drank Liverpool dry, seized a train in metropolitan Sydney and went to the city, where one of them was killed by police. The state government held a cabinet meeting that night to change the liquor laws of New South Wales. That is an infamous aspect of First World War activity in Werriwa. However, it is typical of the area that, from Queen Street in Campbelltown alone, 15 men volunteered to join the fight in Europe in 1914. Overall, Campbelltown, then a country town—and one of the oldest towns in New South Wales—was still very much a rural area, yet 40 diggers joined up in 1914 at the outbreak.

I have heard many people talk about the involvement of their families in World War One. I will not dwell on mine. My Scottish grandfather, John Ferguson, served with Britain in the First World War and Australia in the Second World War. On my mother's side Donald Betts, a wheat and sheep farmer from Junee Reefs who had migrated to this country at 14 years of age, enlisted in the 1st Light Horse and was involved in the Middle East. I guess it was symptomatic of how much that meant to him that he called his farm Romani. My mother did not know why the farm was called that, and nor did I until the time about 10 years ago that I walked through the National War Memorial. He had chosen to name his farm after a battle in Palestine in the First World War.

I do not want to dwell on them, but I do want dwell on my wife's grandfather, Denis Walsh, who was of Indigenous extraction. In 1917, a shortage of manpower and the reality of a volunteer force meant that for the first time Indigenous people could join the armed forces. Up until that time they had to pretend they were, in many cases, Italian, and, what is remarkable, Maoris. I do not know why Maoris were accepted in the Australian armed forces, as opposed to Indigenous Australians, but that was the case. I think it is worth putting on the record that he enlisted before 1917, so he obviously did pretend he was something else. He died in 1923 from the effects of a gassing. A number of aspects of this are very interesting as they concern our history and where we have come from.

The local paper commented of this Indigenous serviceman: 'He had no property or money, was uninsured, belonged to no benefit society and had no sort of pension.' The paper went on to say, '… it is extraordinary that the man's request for a pension should have been rejected. He leaves a widow and a family of young children, utterly without support, and the case is one which might very well engage the attention of the Military Department.' He clearly died from war related injuries as a result of gassing. That was the determination of the local doctor. That was the negative aspect.

I guess the positive aspect was that the town of Singleton in Northern New South Wales then launched a major appeal to support the family, started by the Singleton RS&SIL, which is the predecessor of the RSL. They kicked it off with 15 pounds. There were many contributions to that appeal. My understanding of the family history is that, while Legacy did not exist at that time, the children were eventually adopted by Anglican ministers and other people in Sydney, and that is how they were looked after. It is worth putting on record the reality that Indigenous servicemen were not recognised and were discriminated against. There are various estimates, because it is such a difficult thing to calculate, but it is estimated that between 400 and 1,000 Indigenous Australians fought for the country in the First World War.

I now want to turn to some very timely comments by Bernard Porter in an article in this week's edition of the London Review of Books. A review of four books on Gallipoli gives an appraisal of some of the realities. The article states:

The conditions that both armies were faced with at Gallipoli were among the worst on any front in the Great War. Nearly all the men had diarrhoea or dysentery most of the time … 'Sanitary arrangements were non-existent,' … damnable Suvla Bay flies, and the lice with which every officer and man swarmed' … searing heat in summer, followed by winter temperatures that froze some men to death … the awful food … the utter exhaustion of men who often had to go several days without sleep, stomachs churning and skins crawling with insects, without any proper rest or leave.

The article contains quotes from both side of this conflict which really drive home the intense suffering and loss of life:

A British petty officer 'watched in wordless horror' as a boat floated by his ship containing 'a mass of corpses huddled together … everywhere crimson mingling with the brown, and here and there a waxen-white face with draggled hair staring up into the smiling heavens … Such was our introduction to the glories of war.' … ' The carnage it caused is awful,' a Turkish lieutenant wrote after one engagement. 'Dismembered parts of bodies are intermingled. Blood has drained out of bodies, and chests and arms look like wax. Shins and legs, seared by the explosion, are purple. Some bones have been stripped of flesh.'

We know that the proportion of Australians killed in the First World War was significant, particularly Western Australians, whose death and maim rate was extreme. Those quotes from both the Turkish and the allied sides give some indication of the losses and the suffering of people.

In the few moments remaining to me I would like to talk about the Granville Historical Society, which is in my former electorate. It is one of the most efficient and recognised historical groups in Sydney. Once again with the First World War they have put out a major work covering the 157 people—quite a significant number—from the suburb of Granville who died. They speak of the early gaiety of people going to war. A wristwatch was given to each of the volunteers. The municipal brass band went up the main street of the town, sending people off. Amongst the stories they cover is that of the mayor's brother, Sergeant Henry Charlton, who was at Gallipoli. Walter Armitage never recovered, due to exposure to Turkish gunfire. He was a migrant and, believe it or not, a member of the Granville Yorkshire Association. Lance Corporal David Shiels was an apprentice at the Everleigh workshop and a graduate of Granville TAFE. Bombardier Stanley Chippendale was the son of the local postman. Trooper George Nobbs trained to do country teaching at Hereford House in Glebe, which apparently trained all country teachers at that stage. Alfred Osborne was a child who was adopted two days after his mother died. This major work by the Granville Historical Society is a good effort. I think the society has produced about 10 full-scale books of local history over the years. It has certainly been involved again this year.

At the end of these recognition activities, I can say that Ingleburn RSL and the community in the Werriwa electorate played a major role. There was remembrance of the families affected and keen interest in the broader contribution made by people to the war.

Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It gives me great pleasure to speak on behalf of Gippslanders on the Prime Minister's motion on the 100th anniversary of the landings at Gallipoli.

One month ago I was in Afghanistan and other parts of the Middle East in my role as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence, participating in the Australian Defence Force Parliamentary Program. There are walls at the Australian headquarters in Kabul and also at other bases in the Middle East which carry the photographs of the 43 Australians who have died on deployment to the region over the past decade. They join the 102,000 other Australian service men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice throughout our nation's history.

Even today, as the parliament commemorates the Centenary of Anzac, Australian and New Zealand forces are standing side by side in Baghdad, in Kabul and in the skies above the Middle East working together again, this time to train and support local forces in the fight against Daesh and the Taliban. As we pause to remember the original Anzacs on this occasion, I urge everyone listening today throughout Australia to also remember our modern-day warriors and peacekeepers—the young men and women who have been drawn together from all corners of Australia and New Zealand once again to serve our nations.

As we tuck ourselves into bed at night, safe in the knowledge that no harm will come to our families, spare a thought and a prayer, if you are so inclined, for the almost 2,000 Australians currently serving on deployments throughout the world in places like Kabul, Kandahar and Baghdad. In places where the summer temperature is about to scorch past 45 degrees and winter temperatures will plummet below freezing, some will be sleeping in tents and others in prefabricated huts or dormitories with bunks and precious little privacy. Regardless of where they sleep, they will be away from their families and their loved ones. So pray for their safety, pray for the people they are trying to protect and pray that their missions are completed successfully and that they return as soon as possible to the arms of those they love. When I was in Kabul, I thanked the troops on behalf the government and on behalf the people of Gippsland and told them that we were proud of them, that we supported them and that we wished them well in their mission.

I recall the comments from the former member for Bradfield and former leader of the Liberal Party in this place, who is now the chairman of the Australian War Memorial, Brendan Nelson. He said in this place several years ago that there was no greater service that anyone could give to Australia than to put on the uniform of the nation they love and then place themselves in harm's way to help those who cannot help themselves. That was true in 1915 and it is true in 2015. We do not seek to glorify war as we commemorate the sacrifice and extraordinary service of so many young Australian men and women, along with our New Zealand allies.

I wrote this speech on board an Australian C-130, high above the mountains and valleys of Afghanistan where many of those 43 young Australian men lost their lives. I used a fair bit of its content in my Anzac Day address at the Sale Memorial Hall on Anzac Day this year. There was a huge crowd, as others have reflected. There was a huge crowd to commemorate Anzac Day this year at events right throughout Australia. In my electorate in Traralgon, the dawn service had several thousand people attending. In Sale itself, there was a couple of thousand people. In Tyers, a small community, more than 500 people attended.

When I was flying above Afghanistan, I looked around at the young faces on that plane and I could not help but think about those other young faces on the walls in their headquarters in Kabul. They were all someone's son, someone's father, someone's brother, someone's husband or someone's boyfriend. We can ever bring them back, but I believe that we can honour them and make sure that they are never forgotten.

I told the gathering in my electorate on that day that we cannot fulfil the promise of their young lives cut short, the we can honour them in the way we choose to live our lives. I think we need to regularly think about that: what others have given us and have allowed us to do in enjoying the freedoms and safety we enjoy today. I think our tribute to the fallen, to the original Anzacs and to the 102,000 people killed in countless conflicts, is the manner in which we live today. Our world is being challenged by people who would seek to do us harm. There are enduring values that the Anzacs demonstrated and fought to protect are as important today as they ever before. It is our commitment to peace, freedom and fairness; our determination to protect the innocent; the courage and the adventurous spirit to travel to far-off lands and help others; the bonds of mateship and comradery and to stand together in hard times; and perhaps most importantly the resilience, perseverance and dedication to duty. These are all eternal values and personal attributes that our nation need from us today.

That is what Anzac Day means to me. I take it as a personal challenge to ask myself, 'Am I worthy of that sacrifice that others have made? Am honouring the people who have given so much and still serve our nation's defence force today?' I think they have shown us the way. It is up to us. We must commit ourselves to respecting their enduring legacy.

I also want to take this opportunity to reflect for a moment on the manner in which the Turkish people and their government honour and respect the Australian soldiers killed and injured in the Gallipoli campaign. Recently, I had the great pleasure and privilege to visit Turkey to represent the Minister for Defence at a defence industry fair in Istanbul. At the conclusion of the official duties, we travelled with the defence attache for Turkey, Colonel Jim Burns, to Gallipoli—or Canakkale, as it is known in Turkey.

As Australians, we understand that Gallipoli remains at the heart of our own national story; but we perhaps often do not reflect on how this pivotal event is critical to Turkey's struggles, particularly in the early part of the 20th century. At Gallipoli, the immortal words of Mustafa Ataturk are recorded. He said in 1934:

You, the mothers who sent their sons from faraway 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.

That is a remarkable statement from the leader of the Turkish government at the time: 'They have become our sons as well.' Is an extraordinary statement. It is respectful, it is insightful, it is empathetic and it is dignified. I think it is a sign of great leadership. It helps to explain the relationship we enjoy today with our friends in Turkey.

We do have an active friendship and engagement which culminates for most Australians each year, and perhaps most visibly, with the Anzac Day service at Anzac Cove. But the generosity of spirit and the respect shown by Turkey to allow such commemorative events on their homeland and to support such activities speaks volumes about the relationship today but also throughout history. I could not help but wonder, as I walked the battlefield, whether we would be equally as generous ourselves if we had been on the other side of the invasion. I just simply thank and congratulate the Turkish people for the honour they bestow upon us each year. I thank the Turkish people for extending such remarkable courtesies to Australians, New Zealanders and people of other countries who visit what is sacred site for Australian people, given particularly the enormous losses suffered by the Turks in that conflict.

On our visit to Anzac Cove, like many before and many more to come, I was struck by the beauty of the peninsular, the magnitude of the battles which occurred, the severity of the losses on both sides and the hopeless futility of it all. Under Colonel Burns' expert guidance, we paid our respects at places I had only ever read about, like a North Beach; Ari Burnu; Anzac Cove; Hell Spit; Shrapnel Gully; Brighton Beach, so named because it looks just like the Mornington Peninsula; Artillery Road; Johnston's Jolly; Quinn's Post; Walker's Ridge; Lone Pine and the Nek. We were walking the ground were so many lives were lost. It is such a sombre and sobering moment for any visitor.

I extend my appreciation and thanks to Colonel Burns, our guide, for the education and lessons he provided as he took us amongst the trenches and explained to us just the extent of tunnelling that occurred. That is something that I had not really understood, as to how much tunnelling activity occurred during this conflict. He gave us some insights into what it must been like 100 years ago. The Commonwealth war graves that are maintained on the peninsula are in quite beautiful locations in many respects. We were very fortunate. We were there on a quiet day. It was well after the centenary events had occurred. At most the grave sites we attended, we were the only people there. You could hear the birds. On some of the waterfront gravesites, you could hear the gentle lapping of waves. It was a peaceful resting place.

I can report to the House that the Australians who lost their lives lie on hallowed ground and are respected by the Turks, just as we respect our foes. As we gather here to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli, we must be forever thankful for their service and remember all of those who were killed or injured in this conflict. We should also remember all of those who have been killed in battles since that day. Most of all, I plead with the Australian people and members of this place to remember those who continue to serve today. They have all earned the respect and the enduring gratitude of this island nation. Lest we forget.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Centenary of the Anzac landing at Gallipolli on 25 April provided an opportunity for our nation to reflect upon war, patriotism and the nature of sacrifice. From older Australians whose fathers or grandfathers were veterans of Gallipolli or other conflicts in World War I, to younger Australians who enjoy the freedoms that have been preserved by their sacrifice, our nation stopped to remember. The crowds were huge, not just at the dawn service on the beaches of Gallipolli, and not just at the huge Canberra service, but in cities and towns right across the nation, including in my electorate of Grayndler. They were recognising not just the diggers themselves but the women who served in support roles like nursing, as well as those who toiled on the home front, and the thousands of widows and orphans left after the conflict. On 25 April, Australians reflected on the terrible toll of war. The statistics tell us just how terrible it was. At Gallipoli there were 26,111 Australian casualties, including 8,141 deaths. Across World War I, out of a population of less than five million, 61,522 Australians lost their lives.

The historical facts surrounding the Gallipoli landings are well-known. Australians landed Anzac Cove on 25 April 1915 and established a foothold on the steep slopes above the beach. Concerted but unsuccessful allied attempts to break through in August included the Australian attacks at Lone Pine and the Nek. All attempts ended in failure for both sides, and there was a stalemate for the remainder of 1915. The most successful operation of the campaign was the evacuation of the troops on 19 and 20 December under cover of a comprehensive deception operation.

It is often said that the Gallipoli campaign established Australia's sense of identity. It certainly is the case that the diggers showed extraordinary mateship and loyalty towards each other. Through their egalitarianism, the diggers exemplified the values of equality and the fair go that underpin contemporary Australian values. One thing about getting older is that it gives you the opportunity to observe changes in social patterns and values over time. When I was young, the annual Anzac Day marches were always led by Gallipoli and First World War veterans. First they were marching; later they were in jeeps because they were too frail to march. But, as I grew older, there were fewer diggers each year. I often wondered during that period what would happen when all the World War I diggers were gone. I wondered how future generations would view these veterans when they were no longer alive to lead the parade.

Decades later, the level to which successive generations have embraced the Anzac legend is extraordinary. Indeed, Anzac Day continues to thrive. Parents pass the legend down through the generations. Schools give our youngsters the facts of about what happened a century ago. People engage with the Australian War Memorial to learn more about relatives who served. People do not forget. They will not forget.

It was a terrible war, but there is something very positive about the way in which our nation continues to remember the sacrifice of earlier generations. These commemorations are not about flag-waving or jingoism. They are about people honouring sacrifice of others and thinking hard about the necessity to promote peace.

Gallipoli and World War I had an impact on every community in his nation—from the biggest cities to the smallest country towns. In my own community, the roll of honour at Marrickville includes the names of 26 people who died at Gallipoli. About 6,500 people from the Marrickville area alone served in the war.

I am pleased that this year saw the re-establishment of the Winged Victory statue, a 31-foot tall statue of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory. The original statue was unveiled in 1919 in front of 15,000 people, to commemorate the sacrifice of 450 Marrickville residents who died in World War I. It was designed by sculptor Gilbert Doble. But the statue was taken down in 2008 due to concerns about its condition and threats to public safety. A new version, by artists Peter Corlett and Darien Pullen, was unveiled on Sunday, 19 April, 2015, outside Marrickville Town Hall. In the original statue, the goddess's sword was raised, though her eyes were cast downward in a pose that spoke of a mix of sorrow and pride in victory. In the new version, Nike's sword is at rest, while the original statue is proudly on display at the Australian War Memorial here in Canberra.

Across my electorate of Grayndler, large crowds turned out for the Marrickville Remembers march, which included 25 schools, seven bands and no less than seven military and emergency services groups. Local councils and, of course, the Marrickville, Canterbury-Hurlstone Park, Petersham and Campsie RSL clubs also observed the centenary.

As part of the Centenary of Anzac year, the Commonwealth offered grants to organisations to preserve the Anzac heritage under the Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program. Recipients in Grayndler included: Kegworth Public School, which received a grant to create a memorial garden there in Leichardt, and Dulwich High School of Visual Arts and Design, which received a grant for production of artworks commemorating Anzac. The Marrickville Council received a grant to help meet the cost of the plinth for the new Winged Victory statue. The Ashfield Council received a grant to restore an honour board at Haberfield. The Leichhardt council received a grant to restore a memorial board at Leichhardt. The Polish Club at Ashfield also received a small grant to fund a World War I exhibition. Finally, the Addison Road Community Centre received a grant of $30,000 to commemorate the role of war horses that served in World War I with the light horse. I was very proud to attend that event paying tribute to the Walers, as the horses were known, who also of course served their nation; unfortunately, they did not get to return back home

The centre at Addison Road is located in former Army barracks where, during World War I, many diggers and their horses spent their time as they prepared for departure to the Middle East. Australians did themselves proud in the way they recognised the Centenary of Anzac. At the end of last year I attended an extraordinary function at Canterbury-Hurlstone Park RSL along with Brendan Nelson, the former minister now in charge of the War Memorial. He gave an extraordinary speech that evening. We did our nation proud in the way we celebrated the Anzacs and also remembered and paid tribute to those whose efforts and sacrifice means that we can enjoy the lifestyle we have in Australia today.

I congratulate all those involved around the nation in planning these commemorations. I congratulate the current government and the former government for the way in which they organised the logistics, which must have been extraordinarily difficult—particularly for the widows and veterans travelling to European and Middle Eastern theatres of war. It was an extraordinary effort. I congratulate the government on that. In particular, I congratulate the Department of Veterans' Affairs for the way in which they handled the event. I am confident that, when the 200th anniversary of Gallipoli comes around, Australians will live up to the sentiments of the famous ode: 'We will remember them. Lest we forget.'

Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What an incredible honour we have had to be part of the Centenary of Anzac commemorations this year. We have commemorated the Centenary of Anzac in so many ways and in so many different places this year. The legend of Anzac is much more than an event etched in our nation's history. We have marked the centenary in various ways and in various events right around Australia this year, including in my community of the Central Coast. Anzac Day is more than the symbol of the sacrifice made by too many young Australians whose lives were cut tragically short or irrevocably changed forever by the blood and guts of war. While Anzac Day commemorates a moment in time 100 years ago this year, it is nonetheless a very significant moment in time that helped shape our nation's identity—a moment that captured, albeit brutally, the values of ordinary Austrians, who, for the sake of the freedoms we enjoy today, did such extraordinary things. They carried out extraordinary feats, in the worst of times, that brought out the best in them: extraordinary courage, perseverance against all odds, and selflessness in doing their duty. We lost some 750 Australians on that fateful day of 25 April 1915 and over 61,000 young lives during the Great War itself.

I was pleased to hear the member for Grayndler refer to World War I veterans and, in particular, the Light Horsemen who served in Egypt. When I was a girl aged around 13 going to school in Point Clare, I studied the Great War in year 8 history. We were asked to go and interview somebody who had experience in war. I had the incredible privilege, an incredible honour that I remember to this day, of speaking with Sidney James Fox, whose name I have always remembered. He was at the Orana nursing home at the time I spoke to him. He was nearly 90 years old. He gave me three hours of his time—three hours I have never forgotten. His service number was 2469. He left Sydney on 26 April 1915. He was 19 years of age. He served in the Light Horse Regiment in Egypt. I remember being enthralled at hearing his story of how he served. But the memory that will last with me for a lifetime is of him crying when he talked about how they had to shoot the horses before they returned home. I have told that story many times at many Anzac Day services and memorials—because it mattered to him and, therefore, it mattered to me. His memory forms part of our story as a nation and also our story as a community on the Central Coast.

I raise this story because it was something that came so vividly to life when I attended the official opening of the Central Coast Interactive War Exhibit in Gosford in January this year. I want to commend Andrew Church, who has put his private collection on display. He is a man with a passion for telling the story of wars that we have fought—telling their story and telling our story. On display there, amidst all the memorabilia of so many wars, was one of the Light Horse saddles from World War I. If anybody has an opportunity to visit that Interactive War Exhibit, I would certainly encourage you to do so.

Sid's story, and that light horse saddle, were also brought back to memory during the Troubadour Central Coast concert that I attended in the 10 days leading up to Anzac Day this year. That was an incredible, amazing tribute with music and stories of World War I. They told the stories of the shearers, many of whom went to war in World War I, through the songs that were sung. And then they told the story of World War I not only through the music of World War I but by interspersing the stories and letters of diggers who were actually writing to their loved ones.

That music, that poetry and those letters stayed with me the following day when the Gosford RSL, a week before Anzac Day, held an incredible service at Gosford just near the Brisbane Water. They had dozens and dozens of schools and community organisations there. They had the RSL clubs from right around the Central Coast participating in an extraordinary service and it continued with a beautiful and moving memorial service at the Mangrove Mountain RSL on the Sunday before Anzac Day.

Anzac Day was significant for the Central Coast because in the week leading up to Anzac Day we encountered the storms that many people saw as the worst in a decade. Despite the ravaging that we saw right around the Central Coast—with trees down, homes destroyed, roads unusable for many days and power out to tens of thousands of homes and businesses—the Poppy Park stayed intact. A moving tribute with 40,000 poppies planted at the Poppy Park in Gosford was sponsored by Gosford City Council. It was the incredible vision of Merril Jackson, who did an extraordinary job. Despite the weather, those 40,000 poppies that were planted remained. It was a beautiful tribute. I was very pleased to attend so many services on Anzac Day itself. The Terrigal Wamberal dawn service, where not only did thousands and thousands of people gather on Terrigal Beach—

Bruce Scott (Maranoa, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The debate is interrupted in accordance with standing order 43. The debate will be resumed at a later hour and the member will have leave to continue her remarks.