The Headstone Project

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (12:30): I move:

That this house—

(a) acknowledges the importance of providing due recognition to those who served in World War I and that The Headstone Project gives that recognition, respect and a sense of closure to World War I veterans' families;

(b) calls on the Malinauskas Labor government to support our fallen soldiers and provide funding to The Headstone Project at the requested amount of $75,000 guaranteed for three years; and

(c) calls on the Malinauskas Labor government to petition the Albanese federal government to reverse its previous decision and agree to grant The Headstone Project S.A. 'Deductible Gift Recipient' status.

I note that, if we are elected in 2026, we will commit to funding The Headstone Project South Australia at a cost of $75,000 per year for three years. As background in regard to this vital project, in 2010 John Trethewey, a Tasmanian historian researching World War I veterans, discovered that some were in unmarked graves. That led to families and friends of the First AIF in Tasmania starting The Headstone Project.

After eight years of effort, led by Andrea and Ron Gerrard researching, finding families, planning, fundraising and erecting headstones, the group dedicated the last of 316 previously unmarked veterans' graves in Hobart's Cornelian Bay Cemetery in December 2018.

Inspired by the Tasmanian program, John Brownlie and Neil Rossiter developed The Headstone Project South Australia to mark the graves of World War I veterans with a prescribed military headstone to acknowledge their service to our nation. This program has been successful in providing due recognition to those who served and providing comfort and closure to their families. It is speculated that there could be as many as 2½ thousand World War I diggers buried across South Australia in unmarked graves. John Brownlie has written to the Leader of the Opposition and noted the following:

Between 2018 and 2024, The Headstone Project received recurrent annual funding committed over two separate three-year funding agreements. This financial support has now ceased as it was not renewed at the recent state Budget.

Recently, the Hon. Tim Whetstone MP, the member for Chaffey, mentioned the value and benefits of The Headstone Project South Australia in the House of Assembly on Wednesday 1 May, noting that there are still 680 unmarked graves across South Australia. On 5 June 2024, the Hon. Frank Pangallo noted in the other place that:

It was extremely disappointing to learn this week that the veterans affairs minister, Joe Szakacs, told the project they were unlikely to get the funding they are seeking to identify around 50 graves each year over the next four years. It costs about $1,500 per grave, which includes a headstone and a plaque. We are talking about a paltry $75,000 a year, yet the government can find millions of dollars for their pet bread and circuses projects.

As Mr Brownlie mentions, the project received funding from the Marshall Liberal South Australian government in two three-year funding arrangements between 2018 and 2024. As an additional blow, the Albanese government has recently refused a request to grant the group deductible gift recipient status, further compromising the likelihood of the group attracting funding for this admirable cause.

I want to also note that I have witnessed on one of my visits to Mobilong Prison that some of these headstones are manufactured there, so that is good work by the prisoners in contributing to this project. I think we owe due recognition to all those who we can identify where they lay in unmarked graves so that we can give them the respect they deserve.

I mentioned earlier today about visiting the battlefields of France and Belgium, and I visited the battlefield of Fromelles which was one of those sites. Apart from being a terrible place, just flat country where they were charging into machine guns, the enemy had a water tower so that they could see everyone coming which resulted in a terrible massacre where a lot of allied soldiers were buried in mass graves. I take my hat off and salute the people working with the new Fromelles cemetery, which is a beautiful spot to commemorate the soldiers, where they have done a huge amount of work at that site in identifying the remains of soldiers who fell in that terrible battle, which was just one of the terrible battles of World War I.

Certainly, when you visit some of those cemeteries, especially those for World War I, too many times you see the grave marked with the unknown soldier, 'Known unto God'. That shows the devastation that happened in war, especially with identifying people who have paid the supreme sacrifice. I think what we should be doing here in this state is all we can to support this project to make sure that we give those who have not only been prepared to lay down their life but did lay down their life for this great country. Lest we forget.

Ms HUTCHESSON (Waite) (12:38): I move an amendment to the member for Hammond's motion, as follows:

Remove paragraph (b) and insert new paragraph:

(b) supports our fallen soldiers and recognises that the Malinauskas Labor government has committed to provide $60,000 in funding to The Headstone Project over three years; and

Remove paragraph (c) and insert new paragraph:

(c) supports The Headstone Project's efforts to apply to the commonwealth government for 'Deductible Gift Recipient' status.

I would like to take a few moments to reflect on a remarkable initiative that underscores the deep respect and gratitude we owe to the men and women of our armed forces. As Australians we all share an enormous debt of gratitude to those who have valiantly served our nation, dedicating their time, spirit and labour to the vital mission of defending our values and our freedom.

On days of national remembrance such as Remembrance Day, which we just spoke about, and ANZAC Day, we come together as a collective community to honour those who have served and to reflect on sacrifices they have made. However, we must acknowledge the personal moments of commemoration that occur throughout the year at the gravesides of loved ones when families—grandparents, parents, siblings and community members—come together to mourn. Regrettably, in so many instances we find these graves are unmarked or lacking in proper identification that honours the service of those resting within. This is precisely why the work of The Headstone Project in South Australia is so vital.

The Headstone Project South Australia was initiated in 2017 as a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to recognising and honouring World War I veterans who have been laid to rest in unmarked graves across Australia. A small but dedicated group of local volunteers engages in extensive research to locate the veterans, track down their descendants and, ultimately, replace unmarked graves with formal headstones.

The work is not merely a task but a heartfelt mission, and it was inspired by the courageous efforts of The Headstone Project in Tasmania. In Tasmania in 2010 historian John Threthewey uncovered the existence of unmarked graves of World War I veterans. This discovery propelled the families and friends of the First Australian Imperial Force in Tasmania to start a movement that culminated in the dedication of 316 previously unmarked veterans' graves in Hobart's Cornelian Bay Cemetery in December 2018—a feat led by the tireless efforts of Andrea and Ron Gerrard.

Building on this inspiring model, The Headstone Project SA was developed by John Brownlie and Neil Rossiter, with backing from the community. Their motto, 'They served, they deserve to be remembered' encapsulates the essence of their mission.

I was fortunate to attend the Mitcham Cemetery to witness The Headstone Project firsthand in June 2022, when there was a tribute to four servicemen from the area. Gilbert Gray, who died on 26.11.1972 aged 82, was cremated at Centennial Park. His ashes were then interred in the grave of his parents, Gilbert and Mary, at Mitcham. James William Gilham was born in approximately 1875 in Essex, England, to Sarah and William Gilham, and was said to be one of 15 children. James Gilham joined the AIF on 11.12.1916 and was allocated service number 18921. He was nearly 42 years of age at his time of enlistment. After the war he returned with his family and opened a grocery store on Princes Road, Mitcham, named J.W. Gilham & Sons, after his wife and his sons.

Norman Victor Mengersen was also honoured. He was born in Palmer, South Australia. Of the eight children in his family, four enlisted. Norman joined the AIF on 1.12.1915 at the age of 19 and served with the 10^th Reinforcements of the 27^th Battalion. David Clarence Vernon was also honoured. He joined the Australian Army in Victoria in 1915, and is also buried in the Mitcham Anglican Cemetery. These service people now have the recognition they deserve, and I commend the work of The Headstone Project.

In the past seven years the project has received over $114,000 in grants from the South Australian government, spanning both Liberal and Labor administrations. It is important to note that the support for this project transcends political boundaries. During the 2019-21 financial years the project received $10,000 annually from the last Liberal government. In contrast, the Malinauskas Labor government has doubled that support, committing $20,000 per year in state grants for the 2022-24 financial years and providing an additional $11,102 from the ANZAC Day Commemoration Fund to support The Headstone Project in Renmark.

Moreover, our government has entered into a further three-year funding agreement with The Headstone Project at a rate of $20,000 per annum going forward. This government also remains committed to advocating for the resumption of the commonwealth funding, which previously totalled more than $40,000 during the 2021 and 2022 financial years.

Despite the important work The Headstone Project does, they face challenges in obtaining Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status from the commonwealth. Thus far their efforts, including three applications since June 2023, have been unsuccessful. Achieving DGR status would be instrumental in enabling the project to receive public donations, thereby enhancing its ability to honour these veterans properly. Our minister has taken a proactive stance, advocating for a review of this application on behalf of The Headstone Project in South Australia.

Today we seek to amend the motion in its current form to better reflect the ongoing work of The Headstone Project in South Australia and the support it receives from parliament. These amendments recognise not just the financial backing from the South Australian government but also the continuing advocacy that is necessary for meaningful initiative.

In conclusion, it is our responsibility individually and collectively to ensure that we commemorate those who have served our community, to keep their memories alive and to provide them with the dignified recognition they so rightly deserve.

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (12:44): I rise to support the member for Hammond's original motion:

That this house—

(a) acknowledges the importance of providing due recognition to those who served in World War I and that The Headstone Project gives that recognition, respect and a sense of closure to World War I veterans' families;

(b) calls on the Malinauskas Labor government to support our fallen soldiers and provide funding to The Headstone Project at the requested amount of $75,000 guaranteed for three years; and

(c) calls on the Malinauskas Labor government to petition the Albanese federal government to reverse its previous decision and agrees to grant The Headstone Project SA 'Deductible Gift Recipient' status.

It is an initiative carried out by The Headstone Project, the voluntary organisation identifying unmarked graves and placing prescribed military headstones at their sites. The Headstone Project began in Tasmania in 2010. The SA branch, started by John Brownlie and Neil Rossiter in 2016, unveiled the first headstone in 2017, and today it has over 30 members. I have met most of those members in my travels around the electorate.

The Riverland does have an over-representation of unmarked headstones. Sadly, that is the reality of what we find ourselves in, particularly in some of the small regional cemeteries around the Riverland. In Chaffey, we have a proud history of returned service settlers. As I said in my former contribution, Renmark has some of the highest numbers, per head of population, of returned servicemen who served in Vietnam. That is all too reflective of all of the conflicts that the Riverland community has been a part of for a very long time.

The allocated land, farming fertile soils aided by the River Murray, was a great anchor point for those returned servicemen. Most of those returned soldier settlement blocks were divvied up into 20-acre lots. What it did was give them a sense of purpose. It gave them a sense of reward for the service they gave for our freedoms. We have seen over time that it was a great opportunity for those returned servicemen, particularly to help them deal with their mental health after the trauma that they had encountered in conflict.

They were given the opportunity to work hard, come home and be a part of a community that by and large accepted them and also welcomed them back into the community in most instances, I must say. There was certainly some discussion around returned servicemen, particularly after some of the conflicts where we saw a level of adjustment not only from the servicemen but from community members.

In March this year, I was privileged to speak at the dedication of Private George Stodart's headstone at the Berri cemetery. Private Stodart was a World War I veteran in the 10^th Infantry Battalion and the 3^rd Light Trench Mortar Battery. He served in Egypt and on the Western Front, and sadly he passed away around 17 April 1923.

I spoke with Private Stodart's family, who were in attendance. It was great to reflect on giving that family closure and a sense of pride that one of their family members had been recognised for their service in the appropriate manner. It was no longer an invisible burial site. It now had recognition and some level of closure for their family.

I was also pleased to meet The Headstone Project's South Australian president, John Brownlie, and in June I was invited by The Headstone Project and did attend at the Renmark Cemetery to honour and acknowledge 16 service personnel who served in World War I. It is a great project. It is a project that needs due recognition and it does need that level of funding. Some of those decorated returned servicemen are given an extra recognition on those gravesites where they have a significantly elaborate headstone, aided by a flagpole.

That support and recognition does come with I think deserved support from both state and federal governments, because those service personnel did make the ultimate sacrifice and they deserve that recognition. The Headstone Project has been successfully providing that recognition for almost a decade now and providing comfort and closure, as I said, to those families here in South Australia.

But there is still much more important work to be done for the estimated two and a half thousand World War I diggers buried across South Australia. The former Liberal government funded two three-year agreements for The Headstone Project, between 2018 and 2024. At first that funding was not continued by the current Labor government, but now, with pressure from the community and the opposition, the government has committed $20,000 per year to the project.

That is simply not enough. It does not give the recognition, it does not give the work needed to locate the headstones and research who those returned service personnel are. It is a labour of love. It is a labour for many dedicated volunteers who are doing great work to carry on the legacy that we now expect, enjoy and should show respect for, as should both the state and federal governments.

I must say that while the funding is part of it, it is the work that this Headstone Project group does that is an outstanding contribution in the modern day for what we saw in yesteryear. What it is going to take is a continuation of that support of $75,000 a year. That is why I am a part of a Liberal government that will continue that work in 2026, should we be elected, and commit the $75,000 each year for three years to ensure The Headstone Project can keep this vital service alive.

The future support is also apparent and needed and the Albanese Labor government has also refused a request to grant the project deductible gift recipient status. That is just a very, very small contribution by the federal government that they have refused. The project is already underfunded by the government and now they will not even make it easier for The Headstone Project to receive support from the community. The community members, I am sure, would be more than happy to contribute and to be a part of what we would expect to be the recognition for those returned service personnel.

It is clear that veterans and those who fought for our country are being neglected by a stingy government, both state and federal Labor. I am calling on the Premier that he must call on his Labor mates in Canberra. He must reverse the decision on the tax-deductible status. It is a status that I think is notable and worthy.

For different reasons we in this place, as representatives of our community, can stand up here and have that debate, make a contribution via a speech to making sure that we can and should continue to fund a vital program that continues a legacy for our young ones to better understand the freedoms that we have today and better understand that the life that they live today was from a sacrifice that was given in yesteryear.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (12:54): I rise to close the debate about this important project. I want to make a correction to the Hansard. In my previous contribution I made a comment about an earlier contribution in May from the member for Chaffey and stated that there were 680 graves that still needed to be identified by The Headstone Project. That is the number that have been identified by The Headstone Project and acknowledged.

I acknowledge the Labor government coming late to the table with a funding contribution. Even though it pales in comparison to our contribution of $75,000 a year, $20,000 a year is a start, but it took our policy announcement for that money to come, and I think our veterans and our long-lost World War I veterans deserve better. It should not get to the stage where one party puts up an excellent policy on supporting The Headstone Project for another party to come in, albeit with a much lesser amount than our $75,000 a year—which we will put into a fund for supporting The Headstone Project if we are fortunate to be given the privilege of winning government in 2026.

As I indicated earlier, right across South Australia, and certainly right across the world, in fact, if you look at it on a broader scale, there are so many unmarked graves of those who have served. I mentioned before about the work that has been done at various sites. Fromelles is one that has been in the media multiple times regarding the magnificent work done by people to recover bodies. The work they go through in identifying remains of soldiers from that fierce battle does bring some closure to families, in the sense that they know where their loved one fell. Now it gives them the opportunity, if they ever visit those battlefields in France and Belgium, to go to a marked location and visit their loved one.

When I was there at the end of 2010, I was privileged to find the grave of my brother-in-law's great-uncle. It was in a small military cemetery attached to a civilian cemetery. I was privileged to put a little wooden cross there and get some photos. I know that my brother-in-law and my sister have been there since to visit that grave. That is one of the ones that have been marked for many years but, as I said, there are thousands of these locations right across Europe.

Obviously, there are many graves here in South Australia. As I indicated, I was at a service on Monday at West Terrace, where there are at least 4,000 servicemen and servicewomen buried at the West Terrace Cemetery. I think the more we can do to recognise the sacrifice that people have made, right across well over a century of looking after us and being prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for us, the better. It is vital in making sure that history is preserved so that people can recognise what servicemen and servicewomen have done for this great country.

If we do not learn from history we are doomed to repeat it, and we do not want things to repeat. Sadly, we have seen too many conflicts over time and there are plenty of conflicts at the moment around the world. Sadly, they do not seem to stop; there is something going on in the world somewhere wherever we are. I commend the people from The Headstone Project. I would certainly like the state Malinauskas Labor government to commit to $75,000 a year and I would certainly like, as we have asked, the Albanese Labor government to make The Headstone Project eligible for deductible gift recipient status.

Debate adjourned.

Sitting suspended from 13:00 to 14:00.