Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As part of this year's Anzac commemorations, students and teachers from McAuley Catholic College in Grafton travelled to the battle sites of the Western Front. It was a very special trip for Katelyn Warby, Hannah Brodin, Niamh Cormick, Grace Reeves, Luke Solomon, Dan Norton, Nicholas Power-Geary and Sam Page—all of whom had relatives who fought on the Western Front. Sam Page is in fact the great-great-grandson of Sir Earle Page, who is a former leader of the Nationals and is a former prime minister. Sir Earle was a field surgeon on the front lines during World War I. Indeed, my seat of Page takes its name from him. Other students who also took part in this commemoration were Mishka Ashokumar, Jack Bartholomew, Oscar Dougherty, Nathan Eddy, Lachlan Goodall, Christy Kun, Braden Lewis, Justin Li, Austin Millett, Dylan Newton, Lexie Ostrowski, Peter Redwood, Nicholas Webster and Morgan Welldon.

On Anzac Day, Nicholas Power-Geary and Cayla Sippel had the honour of laying a wreath on behalf of the Clarence Valley community at the official dawn service at Villers-Bretonneux. Mason Walker and Hannah Brodie laid a wreath at the Menin Gate at Ypres, a memorial for those listed as missing and in unknown graves. I would like to thank the teachers: Mark Bellamy, Kathryn Warby, Matt Lobsey and Leanne McLennan. I would also like to thank the Rotary Club of Grafton for paying for the wreaths. I know the students and teachers were honoured and moved to take part in these commemorative services. Lest we forget. (Time expired)