Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

ALBANESE (—) (): on indulgence—I want to take a moment—and I have already notified the Leader of the Opposition of this—to pay respect to the life and service of Ernie Walker. Ernie was an extraordinary member of what is known as the greatest generation; he was one of the famous Rats of Tobruk and a veteran of Kokoda. His passing at the grand age of 106 means that the last of New South Wales's Rats of Tobruk has marched into history.

Honourable members would know that 'Rats of Tobruk' was conceived by the propagandist Lord Haw-Haw as an insult because the soldiers under siege in that crucial Libyan port were trapped like rats living in holes. But the Australian forces took up the name with defiance and pride; they wore it as a badge of honour, and, in some of the darkest days of the war, their remarkable act of defiance lifted the spirits of Allied forces everywhere.

Ernie was a much-loved member of the Five Dock RSL subbranch—very close to my electorate, in the electorate of the member for Reid—whose president, Robert Ridge, described it as the 'spiritual home of the Rats of Tobruk'. I've attended events at Five Dock RSL over the years.

Today, in parliament, on behalf of the parliament, we honour Ernie's memory, we salute his service and we reflect on the bravery of all those Australians who have risked and lost their lives to defend our nation's freedom. Lest we forget.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to join with the Prime Minister and congratulate him on his fine words in honouring an incredible Australian—Ernie Walker. Anybody who achieves 106 years has a remarkable story to tell. He died peacefully with his wife by his side, but that, of course, is a long, long way from where he spent many formative years alongside those who suffered at the hands of the Germans and those adversaries in the Second World War.

There are many stories that can be recounted about different periods of our military history, but the Rats of Tobruk is one of the most significant: those Australian soldiers who survived what, at the time, was an incredible siege in the Libyan port in 1941—eight months of daily bombings and tank attacks from German and Italian forces. But, as we know, they dug in, and they fought in a way that would make our country, the Commonwealth and the Allied forces incredibly proud of what they were able to achieve. To stop the Germans from recapturing that port was a very significant point of military history.

I want to offer, on behalf of the coalition, our condolences to Mr Walker's family and, of course, as the Prime Minister pointed out, to the members of the Five Dock RSL, who will be feeling his loss acutely today. The camaraderie that exists, as we know, at RSLs around the country is sincere and genuine and borne of the camaraderie that's developed over generations. Australia, as has been pointed out even in question time today, was well served in times of peace and war by the wonderful men and women of the Australian Defence Force. We pay tribute again not just to Mr Walker today but to all of those who have worn and who currently wear the uniform of the Australian Defence Force. May he rest in peace.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As a mark of respect to the passing of Mr Ernie Walker, I ask all those present to rise in their places.

Honourable members having stood in their places

I thank the House.

Debate adjourned.