Remembrance Day

Ms HUTCHESSON (Waite) (11:00): I move:

That this house—

(a) recognises that on 11 November we commemorate Remembrance Day;

(b) acknowledges the special significance of Remembrance Day marking the end of fighting on the Western Front;

(c) expresses its profound gratitude to all South Australian men and women who have served in the Australian Defence Force and died for our nation, as well as recognising the sacrifices made by their families; and

(c) acknowledges the important role of the RSL and other organisations who support veterans and the families of those who did not return.

Remembrance Day is a solemn occasion in our national calendar. It marks 11 November 1918 when the guns fell silent on the Western Front bringing an end to the First World War, a conflict that engulfed the world and claimed the lives of millions. On this day (for us this year yesterday) we pause to reflect not only on the historical events but also on the courage, commitment and sacrifices of Australians who have served our nation in every conflict since.

The Western Front, stretching across northern France and Belgium, was the primary theatre of the First World War, and remains one of the most infamous battlefields in military history. Soldiers endured relentless artillery bombardments, mud-filled trenches, and the constant threat of disease including trench foot and influenza. The scale of human suffering was immense. Millions of soldiers were killed on the Western Front with millions more wounded. For Australia, the battles fought there at places like Fromelles, the Somme and Pozieres, were defining moments. They tested courage, resilience and mateship, and forged a national consciousness around sacrifice, service and solidarity.

We recognise the individual stories that lie behind those statistics. One such story is that of Eli Rossini from Upper Sturt. Eli was born into a hardworking Italian-Australian family whose efforts transformed the stony hills of Upper Sturt into fertile gardens. At 23, he enlisted to serve his country, leaving family and home behind. Eli served on the Somme enduring trench foot and severe injuries, including a gunshot wound to his right arm which ultimately led to his discharge as medically unfit.

Despite these hardships, Eli remained a valued member of his community and, in 1935, he was chosen to open the Upper Sturt Soldiers' Memorial Hall, a hall built to commemorate those who served and those who were left behind on the battlefields, to serve as a focal point for the local community. On opening day Eli stood proudly in front of the hall which at the time featured the rising sun captured in the stained glass window above the entrance door, and the distinctive fluted portico.

Since then the hall has continued to play a vital role in bringing the Upper Sturt community together over generations, hosting events, meetings and commemorations, including a service yesterday. I want to acknowledge the tireless committee members who maintain this hall in excellent condition and ensure that it remains a hub for community engagement.

This year, two Upper Sturt Primary School students, Vivian and Eloise, laid a wreath on my behalf at the Upper Sturt Soldiers' Memorial Hall service. The primary school choir was also there and provided a special rendition of Advance Australia Fair. Their involvement, like Eli's story, serves as a reminder that remembrance is not only about the past, it is about engaging the next generation in the ongoing act of honouring service and sacrifice.

This year I attended the Mitcham RSL Remembrance Day service where Father David Covington Groth from St Michael's Church led us in prayer. It was heartening to see the community gather to reflect, to remember and to honour those who served and to recognise the sacrifices of their families.

I had the opportunity to meet with year 11 students from Mitcham Girls High School who, despite the pressure of upcoming exams, took the time to participate in the service. Their presence reflects a continuity of remembrance, ensuring that the values of respect, reflection and community responsibility are passed on to the next generation. The Mitcham RSL continues to serve as a place of honour but also community connection for all of those who served. It is an incredible place. They do such a fabulous job of supporting local veterans and also the local community.

Our RSLs play a really crucial role in the ongoing support of veterans and the families of those who did not return. Our Blackwood RSL has been through a challenging year this year, but I am hopeful for them and I know that they are doing all they can to provide a special place for community to gather. I would like to take a moment to recognise the staff and all of the volunteers who are giving it their all.

I wish to acknowledge those who represented me at other services across the electorate. At the Blackwood RSL and the Blackwood War Memorial, Daniel Clutterbuck attended on my behalf, where he was joined by local community members and students from Blackwood High School, Blackwood Primary School and Belair Primary School. Other services across our area included at the Repat, where Peter Cahalan laid a wreath on my behalf, and the member for Elder laid a wreath at Centennial Park.

Can I take a moment to thank our local florists and florists all over the state, who continue to provide beautiful wreaths for us to be able to honour the people who have fallen. In particular, I went into Bloom Town on Friday and said, 'Do me something that we have never done before.' They were only too quick to assist, so thank you to Bloom Town.

While we honour the past, Remembrance Day also prompts us to reflect on contemporary service. Our Defence Force continues to serve around the world in operations in the Middle East, the Pacific and humanitarian missions globally. Many will be separated from their family and friends this Christmas, making sacrifices that are deeply personal. We recognise the courage and commitment of these service members and the families who support them, often enduring long separations, worry and uncertainty so that our nation remains safe.

Another remarkable initiative is The Headstone Project in South Australia. The volunteer organisation, initiated in 2011, ensures that World War I veterans who served overseas have their final resting places suitably marked. Volunteers research unmarked graves, document military histories, locate descendants and coordinate with cemetery authorities and government agencies to install headstones acknowledging the service of these men and women. Across South Australia, over 2,500 World War I veterans are buried in unmarked graves across more than 900 cemeteries.

Within my electorate, there are currently four unmarked graves at Coromandel Valley cemetery and over 60 at Mitcham cemetery. I am pleased to have supported the upcoming commemoration at Coromandel Valley and also thank the Mayor of Onkaparinga council, Moira Were, for her assistance in this. To date, The Headstone Project South Australia has completed 143 headstones and 13 plaques in the Office of Australian War Graves Garden of Remembrance. Its work is entirely volunteer driven and relies on donations, and it ensures that even those who may have been forgotten are now properly remembered.

Remembrance Day is more than a historical commemoration, though. It reminds us that the freedoms we enjoy today were purchased at great cost. It reminds us that each veteran, each family and each community member who contributes to remembering their service has a role in shaping our collective memory. From the soldiers on the Western Front, to the contemporary service members deployed overseas, to the volunteers marking unrecognised graves in our cemeteries, Remembrance Day connects us all through a shared responsibility to honour courage and sacrifice.

On this Remembrance Day, we honoured all who have given their lives in war. We give thanks to our contemporary service members and their families, including and especially those who will be separated over the festive season, and the volunteers and community members who ensure that the memory of service is preserved and honoured. For these reasons, I commend this motion to the house and urge all members to join me in recognising the significance of Remembrance Day, the service and sacrifice of South Australian Defence Force personnel past and present, and the vital role of local organisations and community committees in keeping their memories alive.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (11:08): I rise to support this motion by the member for Waite:

That this house—

(a) recognises that on 11 November we commemorate Remembrance Day;

(b) acknowledges the special significance of Remembrance Day marking the end of fighting on the Western Front;

(c) expresses its profound gratitude to all South Australian men and women who have served in the Australian Defence Force and died for our nation, as well as recognising the sacrifices made by their families; and

(d) acknowledges the important role of the RSL and other organisations who support veterans and the families of those who did not return.

Remembrance Day, as we know, is observed annually on 11 November to mark the anniversary of the Armistice that ended the fighting with Germany on the Western Front in World War I in 1918. At 11am of that day, hostilities ceased after more than four years of conflict. The day was originally called Armistice Day due to the Germans calling for an armistice in order to secure a peace settlement. Following the end of World War II, the United Kingdom proposed to change the name to Remembrance Day, so that men and women killed in both wars could be honoured.

Australian Defence Force personnel have been involved in numerous other wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations since the two Great Wars, and this day provides us all with the chance to commemorate those who have served and especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defence of our nation. At 5am on 11 November, the Armistice was agreed on, and word was sent to the allied commanders that hostilities would be stopped on the entire front beginning at 11 o'clock on 11 November.

The signing of the Armistice resulted in the complete demilitarisation of the German army, the evacuation of German soldiers out of France and Belgium and the immediate release of allied prisoners of war and, in turn, civilians. Across the world, people rejoiced and celebrated the news. Despite it being late in the evening, school, fire station and church bells rang all around Australia, waking many to share the news that the war was finally over. Numerous armistices were signed in 1918. However, it was the Armistice of the 11^th of the 11^th that left a lasting global legacy, as it symbolised the war on the Western Front ending after four long years.

Alongside the excitement of the war being over, there was also a profound sense of loss and grief: 61,665 Australian soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice during World War I, with more than 156,000 wounded, gassed or taken prisoner. Of those who died, the remains of some 23,000 were never located. Whilst fighting stopped on 11 November, the peace treaty that formally ended World War I, the Treaty of Versailles, was signed only on 28 June 1919. This meant that exhausted troops had to wait another six months before they could return home to the country they fought to protect and to their loved ones.

For many soldiers, the horror they experienced on the battlefields never truly left them, even upon returning home, with both physical and mental scars having a lasting impact. On this 11 November, yesterday, we took the opportunity to reflect on the wars that have shaped the world and to commemorate those who tragically lost their lives protecting our nation. Hundreds of Remembrance Day services took place at RSL sub-branches right across our country, with the entire nation pausing at 11am to reflect.

We must acknowledge our RSLs for the vital work they do in holding these annual commemoration services and the work they do year round in supporting veterans and their families. Along with our returned and services leagues, there are many other ex-service organisations that deserve recognition for the work they do in assisting our veterans with the various aspects of post-service life.

I do want to acknowledge the many, many hundreds of thousands of men and women who served our great country over the years and the more than 103,000 who have made the ultimate sacrifice, but also those who have come home and spent a lifetime suffering with the ills of war and active service. You will not see it a lot of the time, unless you perhaps have a conversation with, I guess, a modern veteran to find out the horrors that they deal with over their lifetime since doing great service for our country, and, certainly, not just the mental anguish that our troops came home with, but those with lifelong physical injuries, and those who were gassed.

I have the utmost respect for people who are prepared to sign up for our Defence Force, as they do today, and who are all prepared to lay down their life for this great country. No greater gift can anyone give, in my mind. Certainly, Australians can be proud of the legacy that we have from serving right across the world, from the Boer War, World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the situation in Malaya, to then later on other conflicts like Afghanistan, and Iraq, and the peacekeeping efforts in Rwanda about 30 years ago that were upgraded to active service, and certainly the troops deployed to East Timor and the many other theatres that I have not mentioned here today, where our service men and women do such great work.

It is not just the work that they do overseas but the vital work that they do here on our home soil as well in support of the defence of our country. I would just like to reflect on members of my family who have served in World War I, World War II, in Korea, in Malaya, in Rwanda and Iraq—and just a special shout-out to my cousin Erin Pederick, who is currently serving in the Australian Defence Force.

It is interesting, in my role as shadow minister for veterans, occasionally you come across people who have done many rotations, especially in Afghanistan. I think I have told this story before about a returned soldier who had been rotated nine times. That is a huge rotation, especially for those who are trained at the highest level. At the end of our conversation, he was just happy that I took the time to discuss it with him and what happened. He told me in a broad sense what had happened to him overseas. He was very proud to have served, but that is a lot of rotations of a sequence, especially of our special forces soldiers who bore a lot of the brunt of the recent active service and that high turnover of rotations.

So I say to the Australian public: please respect our veterans, especially our modern-day ones, because it is easy for people to sit in their lounge rooms, in the comfort of their homes, or perhaps in a newsroom, and lay judgement before they know the facts of what actually happens, as I do not. I do not know what happens when you knock down a door and it might be the last thing you do on the battlefield. I do not know that. So please show some respect to those service men and women who serve our country, whether here or overseas, and the fact that they are willing to lay down their lives for you.

I commend the motion and fully support all those who have served, all those who are currently serving and wish them all the best in their futures. I know a lot of them thrive as they move into the future, and I know the support from the RSLs, the more than 300 organisations in this state, the more than 3,000 organisations federally, that support our people who have returned is aimed at doing their best to make sure that those people can have fruitful lives into the future. I commend the motion.

Mr TELFER (Flinders) (11:19): It is a privilege to rise to speak on this motion to acknowledge Remembrance Day. It is indeed a very solemn and important day on our calendar when we remember 107 years ago at 11am on the 11^th day of the 11^th month when the guns fell silent on the Western Front, after more than four years of continuous bloodshed. Some of the contributions in this place already reflect on just how immense that burden was on us as a young country and upon the world. When World War I came to an end after the signing of an armistice, from that day forward this special day has been known as Remembrance Day or Armistice Day. Following the horrors of World War II, 11 November became the day to remember all those who made the supreme sacrifice serving their country and has, from that day on, been known as Remembrance Day.

We should never forget the immense sacrifice and contribution to war that Australians have made. It has been considerable. More than one and a half million Australian men and women have served in eight major wars and conflicts since the start of the First World War in 1914. Some of that service has been here at home but, as we know, the vast majority of it has been overseas. Over 100,000 have died during battle since that time and many others have died as a result of injuries sustained from battle. Each Remembrance Day we take the opportunity to reflect on wars that have shaped the world and commemorate those who tragically lost their lives protecting our nation.

Serving in Australia's armed forces is a serious commitment and we thank those South Australians who are current members and those who have served in the past. We must also acknowledge the important work that the many ex-service organisations continue to do to provide support to our veterans and to their families. The hardworking volunteers also provide the means for us, as communities, to maintain a connection with that important heritage, that connection to those who have gone before and the connection that those people represent such a significant part of our past.

I want to acknowledge the RSLs in my electorate. There are seven sub-branches in my electorate: Ceduna, Streaky Bay, Cummins Yeelanna, Port Lincoln, Tumby Bay, Kimba and Cowell. I know that they are all supported by incredible volunteers in our communities and it is replicated right across our state and across our nation. These RSLs in my electorate have hosted services to commemorate this significant day and, sadly, with responsibilities in parliament I was not able to attend a service in my electorate in one of those seven sub-branches, but it was a privilege to attend this year's service on North Terrace, to take the time to stop and remember and to honour the men and women who left communities, left regional communities a long way away from the realities of war but where the thought of war was never too far away.

These men and women left regional communities, they left South Australia and they left Australia to defend our nation and many did not return. For decades, it really decimated our smaller communities and regional areas, that had a dearth of fit, strong and usually young men, and frequently families with multiple siblings, who were all lost to war, or some returning, having left their siblings behind on foreign soil.

This year's service on North Terrace was a moving one, a moving ceremony of remembrance. I would like to thank the RSL for their efforts throughout the entire state, their efforts in enabling remembrance for the whole community. I would like to congratulate the state RSL president, Mr Brad Flaherty, and the entire Returned and Services League. Thank you. Thank you for the work that you do supporting families, supporting those who have returned and also continuing to shine a light of remembrance for the rest of the community to be able to come together on days such as Remembrance Day to stop, recognise and acknowledge that sacrifice of serving.

I want to recognise the work of the Port Lincoln RSL. I recently joined with the RSL and the community during a very special ceremony that saw the planting of a Tobruk fig tree. During the Second World War, Australian soldiers were at the siege of Tobruk in North Africa, a long way away from Australia. It was a key strategic location as well as becoming a character-defining battle for Australia. Located inside the Tobruk defences, the fig tree was the only feature in an otherwise very barren desert. If you read some of the stories that were shared of the challenge that was faced in and around that battle, it is truly confronting.

This tree inside the Tobruk defences became known as the Fig Tree Hospital and marked the entrance to an underground network of caves used by the Australians to treat their wounded. Fig trees propagated from that original tree have spread to war memorials around Australia in particular as a living reminder of the thousands who have served and sacrificed in war, peacekeeping and peacemaking. It was a very special step for Port Lincoln to be able to plant and host one of these fig trees. Well done to all involved in organising this special day, which was enjoyed by all.

The character-defining nature of that battle at Tobruk really does provide a foundation for who we are as Australians. To have that connection for Port Lincoln and for communities around South Australia and Australia with that living reminder is something that is really special. Congratulations to the Port Lincoln president of the RSL, Gary Clough and the team, as well as the City of Port Lincoln council and all who have been involved in that really special project. I know that that fig tree will be well looked after.

I also want to recognise the work of the Cowell RSL. Sadly, like I said, I was not able to be at Cowell on the 11^th, which I hear was a very special day. I would like to congratulate the president, Andrew Schutz, and the secretary, Sue Grund, on what I have heard was a very special opportunity to acknowledge and open the newly developed Remembrance Park at Cowell. It is a project that embodies a sense of community and respect for heritage, and it was founded from an idea after the community showed great interest in the stories that were shared by school students of local soldiers who sacrificed their lives for world peace.

I got a bit of insight into Remembrance Park at Cowell before the official opening. It is an incredible place and a beautiful place located between the newly formed wetlands on Cowell's foreshore and the award-winning water park. If you are ever in Cowell, please drop in and absorb a bit of that history, because we know that small communities like this sent their young people to war to defend the values that we had and the values that we continue to hold dear.

Over the past five years, the Cowell RSL and the District Council of Franklin Harbour have worked together to develop this area. It includes steel art cut-outs, posts and plaques that tell a story of each service person named on the cenotaph that is there in Cowell, which is a really special one too. These local stories, these connections and these biographies, which are also connected to the Virtual War Memorial, give insight into that local history that is so special to our communities.

I know that the work that has been put in by the Cowell RSL and the district of council of Cowell is really important. This Remembrance Park, which was opened on Remembrance Day, has been the work of volunteers and this small local council, who were determined to recognise our past, acknowledge the sacrifices made but also improve the town for the future. It was a really special opportunity, and congratulations once again to the Cowell community, the council and especially the RSL president, Andrew, and secretary, Sue, who I know put a lot of work in.

On the subject of Cowell, I would like to congratulate someone special, Mr Robert McFarlane, who has been recognised with life membership of the RSL of South Australia. This is a man whose service to veterans and families is immense, and that acknowledgement with life membership is a well-deserved honour. So congratulations and well deserved, Robert.

Ms PRATT (Frome) (11:29): I, too, rise to speak in support of this important motion moved by the member for Waite and I thank her for her commitment and genuine compassion for our currently serving men and women.

In rising to speak to support this motion recognising Remembrance Day, we note that it is a day of solemn reflection and we offer and extend deep gratitude and national unity when we come together to remember those who made the supreme sacrifice. Each year, on 11 November at the 11^th hour, we pause as a nation to honour the moments that the guns fell silent on the Western Front in 1918. That date marks not only the end of the First World War but also the beginning of a solemn national tradition which, as a collective act of remembrance, binds our generations together. We stop our day to remember the courageous sacrifice and the service of those who fought and fell for the freedoms we so often take for granted.

More than 420,000 Australians enlisted in the First World War and over 60,000 never came home. In South Australia, every regional town has a memorial that is proudly looked after with the names of defence personnel etched into stone telling a story of heartbreak, bravery and community resilience.

In my own electorate of Frome, Remembrance Day holds a deep local meaning and, while I have attended many services across the breadth of the Mid North, I want to recognise the universal experience I witness everywhere: the gatherings in small country halls in the coming together in the absence of an RSL, the RSL services that do take place, and the school assemblies. Something that I am sure I am not witnessing on my own is a resurgence of attendance by our young people, not just our high school students or our primary school students but indeed yesterday the Two Wells community childcare centre was out in full force at a service, which is not only touching but uplifting to see that these traditions will not be lost and are being shared through the education system back to our young people. Each year our communities come together to reflect, to teach our children and to say with sincerity, with them: we will remember them.

The town of Tarlee is almost smack bang in the middle of the electorate of Frome and I have enjoyed a number of occasions attending services at the war memorial that is proudly looked after by the township. The RSL has curated a proud catalogue of documents, stories, photographs and books that have been written by locals. I want to pay tribute to the story of the relationship between Tarlee and France. The town of Tarlee in South Australia has a historical relationship with Blangy-Tronville, a town in northern France, because of a World War I soldier, Private Arthur Clifford Stribling. He was born in Tarlee and died in battle in 1918. His death occurred near the Somme and he was buried in Blangy-Tronville leading the two towns to form an unlikely link, including a French primary school being renamed in his honour now.

The RSL and community volunteers who continue this tradition deserve special recognition. They work tirelessly to ensure that remembrance remains at the heart of our civic life, not only on 11 November but every day of the year. Their efforts to support veterans and their families to preserve historical memory and to educate our future generations ensure that the sacrifices of those who have served are never forgotten.

I particularly want to acknowledge the RSL branches across my Mid North electorate and the work of these sub-branch volunteers whose dedication ensures that our local veterans and the families of those who did not return continue to receive the support, respect and community connection they so rightly deserve. Every country town puts on a service: from Jamestown to Burra to Kapunda to Manoora to Robertstown, to Balaklava, Mallala, Two Wells—which still puts on a service in the absence of an RSL branch—Freeling and many others. These services are meaningful and they are well attended, but they only happen when service men and women, veterans, are prepared to donate their time.

With this motion we rightly honour those who gave their lives, and it also compels us to recognise the ongoing service and sacrifice of our current and former defence personnel. We know the legacy of war is not confined to battlefields. The physical and psychological scars carried home are enduring, and the impact on families is profound. That is why we must continue to invest in veteran health services, mental health care, and meaningful transition support, particularly in our regional areas where access to services can often be more limited.

Attending yesterday the MESHA (Military and Emergency Services Health Australia) 18^th anniversary remembrance service, I had the honour of speaking with both Squadron Leader Bernard Higgins and Major Darren Black, a retired Army officer and a UN peacekeeper who is not only the CEO of SuperFriend but also a director on the Suicide Prevention Australia board. Naturally, our conversation was focused on what governments, at state and federal level, can do to provide more support to build capacity in our service men and women.

We owe our veterans more than remembrance. We owe them ongoing care, gratitude and a nation that honours its promises. The red poppy, that little simple flower that bloomed across the fields of Flanders, remains our most powerful symbol of remembrance. It reminds us that even in the darkest of times there is hope, renewal and resilience. As the member for Frome, I am deeply proud of the way our communities come together each year to commemorate Remembrance Day, standing shoulder to shoulder, young and old, in silent respect.

Today we pause again in parliament to reflect on the service of all those who have worn our nation's uniform, those who continue to serve and those who made the ultimate sacrifice. To their families we say: your loss is our nation's loss; your strength is our nation's pride. Lest we forget.

Mrs HURN (Schubert) (11:36): I, too, rise in support of the motion put forward by the member for Waite and thank her for allowing the parliament to put on the record their pride in all our soldiers: those who have returned, those who are still on the battlefield and those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

In hearing all the reflections of members on both sides of the chamber, it is clear that we are united in the pride that we feel in standing together on Remembrance Day. We recognise that on 11 November we commemorate Remembrance Day and that it is an opportunity for solemn reflection to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms which we enjoy in Australia—freedoms which are often taken for granted and freedoms which we must continue to enjoy for generations to come.

We acknowledge the special significance of Remembrance Day in marking the end of the fighting on the Western Front when the guns fell silent on the 11^th hour of the 11^th day of the 11^th month. We express our profound gratitude to all South Australian men and women who have served in the Australian Defence Force and who have died for our nation, and we recognise the sacrifices made by their families. We acknowledge the important role of the RSLs and other organisations that support veterans and the families of those who did not return.

I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge all the RSLs across my electorate of Schubert and thank them for the work that they did in putting on commemorative services. Unlike ANZAC Day—where there are so many services held in the morning, at dawn, at 6am, where thousands of people flock to services right across the state and indeed the world—Remembrance Day, the 11^th hour, is a working day. To see so many locals paying their respect to not only those in their community but to those across the state who paid the ultimate sacrifice—it is an incredible mark of respect that has continued for decades and decades. I really am buoyed by the fact that this form of respect will continue for generations to come. That was on display when I was at Houghton Common yesterday, paying my respects at a service that was put on by Bob Day and many others of the Houghton community group.

The Paracombe Primary School and preschoolers were there doing the flag march and lowering the flag. It was really fantastic to see their level of involvement and to see, by the look on their faces, that they understood what it was that we were reflecting on and commemorating. It is really important that we continue to ensure that, for the people who paid the ultimate sacrifice and their families, this form of reflection continues for generations to come. So thank you to Bob Day and his team who put on yesterday's commemoration. That was just one of many services that were held across my community and, as the member for Hammond has said, one of hundreds that were held right across the state.

The way in which our RSLs volunteer their time to speak to the stories of those fallen soldiers in our own local communities is really remarkable. It is fantastic that we have the opportunity, again as the member for Frome said, to come together today as a parliament once again and pause to reflect on their ultimate sacrifice. It is something that should never be taken for granted. It is important that we come together in this silent reflection to remember, to respect and to ensure that the ultimate sacrifice that was paid by so many is never forgotten. Lest we forget.

Mr TEAGUE (Heysen—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (11:41): I rise to commend the motion moved by the member for Waite and, just for a moment, to pause to reflect on the Upper Sturt Soldiers Memorial Hall. You only need to drive past to see that it is one of those venerable halls that is built in response to community devastation, and it continues to stand the test of time, but it is also living, fresh, revitalised to this day. The stained-glass window that has been installed above the main doors of the hall is just a thing of beauty that just reminds us, with the light passing through it, that we can commemorate now a century and more of loss and devastation. We carry that with us each and every day, including when we go, as we did just a few days ago, to the local strawberry fair at that memorial hall. It is a living, breathing part of who we all are day to day.

I will reflect specifically on the commemoration service that took place on the lawns outside the Stirling library yesterday morning, hosted by the Stirling RSL and a tribute to those volunteers. So many contributions have reflected on the continuing practical service of RSL members and the Stirling RSL is a stand-out example.

The Stirling RSL convened the commemoration service at Stirling on the lawns. It was a chilly late morning, and the gathering of people were really rugged up unseasonally. There was a large turnout for the moment of reflection at 11am. At the beginning, and before we commenced, Doreen Thomas—who had come along for the first time to lay a cross in recognition of her late husband, John, a former president of the Stirling RSL who passed in the last year—reflected quietly, 'This is the first such occasion.' It was very special to be there together with Doreen.

We heard in the course of the commemoration service reflection specifically on the service of Aboriginal soldiers who enlisted and fought in the first war. We reflected with prayer, as we do each year, on that supreme sacrifice made by so many Australians in the first war.

The thing that struck me in particular this year was the central role that was played by local schoolchildren. They very much outnumbered the rest of the community at the service in Stirling. There was a significant contingent from Stirling East Primary School, a significant group from Crafers Primary School, from Aldgate Primary School, from St Johns at Belair and St Catherine's.

In particular, it was very moving to see the group of school leaders from Heathfield High School who laid a wreath and took responsibility for the raising of the flag at the conclusion of the service. It was truly moving. It is one thing to see so many young children engaged in understanding what the devastation of war is about and how it moves and shapes the fabric of today's Australia but it is all the more moving to see young adults who are at the age of so many who went and served in that war. Speaking to those school leaders immediately after the service it was so apparent that that was front of mind for each of them as well. The years go by, but the central importance of this commemoration is not fading but is renewed in each generation.

I want to also recognise the presence of the member for Mayo, Rebekha Sharkie, as well as leaders from the Adelaide Hills Council. All levels of parliamentary and local government were represented on that occasion.

Yesterday, I also had the opportunity, together with the Hon. Mira El Dannawi in another place, to host the visit to South Australia of His Excellency Pierre-André Imbert, the Ambassador of France to Australia, together with the Consul General Paule Ignatio, who is the Consul General of France in Melbourne with responsibility for South Australia. They were here for the happy occasion of the inauguration of the Parliamentary Friends of France. I made the point to His Excellency that coming on the occasion of Remembrance Day presented an opportunity for participation in the state memorial service on North Terrace. I am so glad that the ambassador and the Consul General joined with the government and representatives of the community at the state memorial service yesterday morning.

I want to recognise, when it came to the evening, back here in this place, the ambassador's reflections on the losses that Australia and France suffered alongside one another on that terrible Western Front. We often reflect, as the member for Frome has just now, on those numbers of enlisted Australians, the 420,000 or so young men from an Australian population of 5 million, 60,000 of whom died in what was a devastation for Australia that lived through generations.

In France, the devastation was truly staggering. The number of military deaths was around 1.4 million, a total of six million casualties, and 600,000 civilians also died. The result of the devastation to French nationals was that the French population over the period, after the end of the war, went from about 40 million, reducing by about three million, more than half of the entire Australian population over that time. If one ever needed reminding on Remembrance Day, the bonds that tie France to Australia are there in those devastating numbers.

Remembrance Day is a day of great significance around the world. It is a day of particular significance to each and every one of our local communities, and we will continue to commemorate and remember them. Lest we forget.

Mr BASHAM (Finniss) (11:51): I, too, rise to support this motion by the member for Waite. It is such an important day to remember our history and how our country has grown and evolved from people making the ultimate sacrifice on shores very far away from ours. It is not easily comprehensible, going back 100-plus years, to imagine the thoughts of people sending their loved ones abroad to fight on shores that they had left many years earlier in many cases, and to see the country of Australia grow.

I was fortunate enough to be on a family holiday about 18 months ago when we were travelling through the English Channel. It was quite interesting to get a perspective from the middle of the channel about how close everything really was, yet so far away at the same time, and to understand the challenges that people had at the time in landing on those shores and the battles that were fought. World War I was an amazing conflict that was meant to end all wars but, sadly, we continue to have wars and we probably need to do more remembering about what has occurred in our world and hopefully move away from these conflicts.

In my electorate this year on Remembrance Day I had the privilege of attending a service at Mount Compass. The delayed start to parliament gave me the opportunity to choose to attend at Mount Compass. Being the most northern point of the electorate holding a service, it gave me the greatest opportunity to make sure that I got here on time, hence my choice of attending there. There were five services held across the electorate, that I am aware of, at public war memorials: Milang had one, and Victor Harbor, Port Elliot and Goolwa also had services.

It was lovely to be at the Mount Compass service. They are in the process of building a new war memorial for both Remembrance Day and ANZAC Day services. There is great passion in that community and the work is being done by a group of volunteers who are apparently down there most Wednesday mornings. They put in their time and donate their equipment to build this memorial. It is a great community where they get out there and do the work to deliver a wonderful memorial for those lives that have been lost.

There were probably about 60 people there at Mount Compass yesterday. It was a very nice service to stand there and remember and reflect, particularly in the minute's silence. As the world continues to buzz around you, you reflect on what has happened in the past. It is quite an emotional experience to share with others. It was a lovely time there. Thank you very much to Bill Coomans, the local councillor who lives in Mount Compass and represents that region. He pulled together the service, so a big thank you to him and all those others who were involved. It is nice that they were even able to get someone down there with bagpipes and someone to play the Last Post. It was fantastic.

Speaking of the Last Post, I was not at the Victor Harbor service, but there was someone who has been there apparently for the last 70 years. Vic Walter has been playing the Last Post at the service for 70 years. He started playing the Last Post very young, as a boy, and he now has continued that tradition for a full 70 years. It is an amazing effort for one individual to make that commitment. He has apparently played at both ANZAC Days and Remembrance Days for that whole time, and he is pretty good these days after a lot of practice playing the Last Post. My understanding is it is not that easy a tune to play on a bugle, but he has done so. A big thank you to Vic for all his service over that time.

For me, I watched Remembrance Day when I was at school. It was a large event, particularly for schools. We held very large services either at a war memorial, where the school would all go down to join the service, or at other times at school. We have probably seen the tradition moving. The remembering of what occurred in wars has shifted slightly; I think ANZAC Day has certainly grown in popularity over Remembrance Day. Certainly when I was at primary school, it was very much the other way around. Remembrance Day was the key day when we saw people actually getting out there and remembering what happened in the past.

As I said, it is about the end of the First World War, but certainly through that era it was very much about remembering all wars. Particularly the Second World War that followed was something that was very front of mind in my life. I had a great-aunt who happened to be nursing in the UK during the mid-1930s. When war broke out, she enlisted with the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps, and she served alongside the English for every day of the war. She served from day one to the last day of the war.

I have spoken about my Aunt Edith in this place before. She certainly was very dedicated to the soldiers. She served in areas such as North Africa through to France in really quite hostile areas at times, patching up soldiers who were badly injured. She also served on hospital ships as well. It was a really challenging time for all. Reflecting on sending 18 year olds and 19 year olds overseas, my eldest daughter is currently 19. I cannot imagine a child of mine travelling to do that. To me, it is amazing the sacrifice that not just those individuals made but also that their families made.

I am really pleased to be able to speak on Remembrance Day. It is certainly a very moving day and an important day in Australia's history. I think it is so important that we continue to make sure that people remember what happens during war because that is the best way to keep peace. With those words, I very much support this motion.

Ms STINSON (Badcoe) (12:00): I thank the member for Waite for bringing this motion. Clearly, it is one that has great support across the chamber. I am pleased to be able to speak on it today. Remembrance Day has even more significance for me now that I am lucky enough to be the member for Badcoe. That is, of course, because the seat of Badcoe is named after Victoria Cross recipient Major Peter Badcoe VC. There are probably not too many people in this chamber who know a great deal about him, so I might use this opportunity to speak a little about the sacrifices that he made and the symbolism of his experience and the significance of it to me and to my community.

Major Peter Badcoe died in the Vietnam War in the third act of gallantry that he exhibited in a rather brief time that he was a leader in that conflict. He was a very mild-mannered looking fellow. In most of the photographs that you see of him, he is wearing a beige-coloured cardigan and glasses and he does not necessarily strike you as someone who ended up being a Victoria Cross winner. Certainly, when you read about his history, the sacrifices and the incredible bravery that he exhibited in that conflict, he is every bit the hero that our ANZAC myths are made of.

He was known as the 'galloping major' for the energy that he exhibited and the energy that he applied to his role in the Australian Army Corps. He was recognised for not one, not two, but three acts of gallantry. Some may say he was a bit crazy-brave. There were two occasions on which he essentially showed incredible courage in what people might have thought were disastrous circumstances. He really provided huge inspiration for his troops to power forward and was successful on those first two occasions.

Unfortunately, on the third occasion he did sacrifice his life but in his actions managed to save many of his comrades. That was on 7 April 1967. Incredibly, the three acts of gallantry that he received the Victoria Cross for all happened from February to April. It was a breathtaking amount of inspiration and courage that he exhibited in a short period of time, and he certainly lives on as an incredibly brave fellow.

When I am down at the Plympton Glenelg RSL, there are still folks around who remember him, the odd one who served with him in Vietnam. I always enjoy having a chat with them and hearing their reflections on him and his life and what he gave for the protection of our freedoms. He has some family still in our area whom I have been lucky enough to meet. Certainly, I always enjoy hearing stories about him. Strangely enough, I feel like I know him quite well even though, obviously, he has not been with us for many decades. It is quite a legacy that he has left.

In addition to winning our top military prize of the Victoria Cross, he also received the United States Silver Star Medal. Maybe football fans might be most impressed that the ANZAC Day medal at the AFL is named in his honour, the Badcoe Medal, for the ANZAC Day match.

Strangely enough, I first came to know of Peter Badcoe way back in 2008—it might have even been 2007—when I was working for the then Attorney-General Mick Atkinson. The reason for this was he also held the post of veterans' affairs minister and I was an adviser in that office. The Badcoe medals, his set of medals, including the Victoria Cross, were put up for sale, and the South Australian public, rightly, was concerned that maybe an overseas bidder or a private collector might buy these medals and they might not be available to the public in the future.

I was really pleased to be part of the team that negotiated the sale of these medals to none other than Kerry Stokes, who later became my boss when I ended up working at Channel 7, so circles within circles here. He purchased the medals for a whopping $488,000 and still owns them to this day, but he gifted them back to the South Australian Museum where they are frequently on display and also frequently go on tour. They are an incredible gift from Kerry Stokes, who many in this place would know has a great interest in Australia's military history and has dedicated a lot of time and also a lot of money to making sure that our military history is preserved and that the public can access it.

I was very pleased to be involved in that endeavour, not knowing, of course, that I would be standing initially for the seat of Ashford, which was then renamed as the seat of Badcoe 10 years after that. When I am standing there listening to the last post at our Remembrance Day services, my mind goes to Peter Badcoe and the contribution that he made. It is my pleasure to be able to speak with school groups and other groups that come here about his life and his legacy, and I appreciate the opportunity to speak about him in this place today.

I was very lucky to attend the Plympton Glenelg service yesterday. I saw the member for Morphett there as well, who always makes time to attend that service. It is a solemn (and yesterday rather chilly) service, right on the foreshore, but a very moving one as well.

I would like to extend my special thanks to the Military Brotherhood Military Motorcycle Club who were there yesterday holding ground for their fallen comrades. They hoisted the flags and stood their ground in a symbolic gesture of never leaving their comrades behind, and I found that a very powerful thing for them to do. They are an incredible organisation who raise a lot of money but also provide a lot of support mainly to people who have served in Vietnam but also in more contemporary theatres of war, including Afghanistan, East Timor and other places. They are very important in my community through the Plympton Glenelg RSL, so it was great to see them there and see their participation.

There is a young singer who always performs at this service, or at least has since I have been attending them—Shay. Her voice just takes you to another place and I think that service benefits greatly from a moment for us all to really tune in to the incredible talent that she has that really reminds us of the gravity of the occasion. You will see people who are tourists just walking around on the esplanade suddenly stop and listen to the beautiful contribution that she makes to the service. I would also like to thank Tich Tyson, who is the person who organises the service every year—he does a spectacular job—and I want to thank the Plympton Glenelg RSL for hosting it.

I then dashed across town—you cannot be in two places at once—to where the Hilton RSL also hosts a wonderful service and I laid a wreath at the cenotaph there, and then I joined them for lunch at the Hilton RSL. The Hilton RSL is not actually in my electorate but will be next year. They will be moving to the National Servicemen's Association building, a new building that is going to be built by the City of West Torrens in cooperation with some state government funds, and they will be coming into my community. I have been visiting them for some years now for their celebrations, and it will be lovely for them to have a new facility but also for us to welcome them into the Badcoe community.

I want to thank Wendy Dobson, who seems to pop up all over the place. She must be the busiest woman on earth. I see her at events from Ascot Park to Hilton. She did a fantastic job with the service and with the lunch. I also want to thank a number of our local schools that attended that service, including Emmaus Christian College.

The importance of having young people and schoolchildren involved in these services does not escape me. As a young person, I remember asking my grandfather, who was a national serviceman, 'Why on earth are we celebrating war?' I was 11 or 12 and I just could not understand this. But, of course, through being exposed to ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day services it became obvious to me as a young person that this is not about the glamorisation of war, this is about remembering those whose lives have been lost, who have given their own bodies in sacrifice for the freedoms that we enjoy today. We cannot thank them any more deeply and I think it is apt that we take the time on Remembrance Day to think of those people. Lest we forget.

Mr PATTERSON (Morphett) (12:10): I also take the opportunity to recognise that yesterday was Remembrance Day. Even though it is 107 years since the first Armistice Day back in 1918, it still really is a moment of great significance for the service men and women, both from Australia and New Zealand—because we have the ANZAC spirit—who served in the theatres of war. It gives us a chance to remember the horrors our forebears had to go through in World War I, which really shaped a very young nation.

As was pointed out yesterday in the Remembrance Day ceremony, a significant number of Australians who enlisted and served were between the ages of 18 and 45. It was upwards of about 40 per cent. We were a young nation with only about five million in population and over 450,000 served. There was a very high casualty rate as well with over 60,000 soldiers killed. Of course, Remembrance Day was very important to those at the end of World War I. Also, subsequent to that were other theatres of conflict, such as World War II and Vietnam.

I was able to attend the Remembrance Day ceremony yesterday conducted by the Plympton Glenelg RSL that was held at Moseley Square, Glenelg, at the ANZAC Memorial. That ANZAC Memorial, while it comes into focus both on Remembrance Day, where the service is held, and also on ANZAC Day, really sits there as a reminder for 365 days of the year, as tourists and locals go through Moseley Square, of the sacrifice that has been made by our service men and women to give us the ability to enjoy the fantastic coastline and freedom that we have.

That ANZAC Memorial is made of black granite and it is in the shape of a semicircle, which replicates the setting sun. It says on it, 'At the going down of the sun we will remember them' and it pays tribute to those soldiers. That was the backdrop to the ceremony yesterday run by the Plympton Glenelg RSL.

Tich Tyson has been organising these ceremonies since when I was Mayor of Holdfast Bay and then became the member for Morphett. On a volunteer basis, he has been running and organising what is a significant event which provides good solemnity to the occasion. He is joined by Chelsea Carruthers, who has also taken this on and runs it.

In yesterday's ceremony we had the catafalque party and, pleasingly, we had a large crowd. Some of those in the crowd came from 2RAR. They were having a reunion, this time in Adelaide. They move their reunion around from state to state, and this year the occasion was to have it here at Glenelg, so it was great to have so many attend from there. At the same time, there was the reunion of the graduating officer class from 1970 from the national service. That is for those who were part of national service during the Vietnam War, and they came along too.

Sadly, we have reached the stage where unfortunately the last of our World War II veterans are dying. We recently had some of the centenarians, who went through great privations, went through the ordeals of war and lived to over 100. For all privations, it is remarkable that they were able to do that, so we are handing the baton over to a lot of those who served in the Korean War and the Vietnam War. It is those who make up the predominant cohort of veterans who attend and conduct these services. It is a really solemn service to be able to pay homage to them as well.

I was able to lay a wreath on behalf of our grateful Morphett community to recognise our service men and women. We also had school students from Glenelg Primary School who were able to come along and lay a wreath, as well as other tiers of government. As the member for Badcoe said, she attended, as did the local councillors. As is the case with so many other members of parliament, there are many multiple ceremonies going on at the same time.

At the same time, the William Kibby VC Veterans Shed members conducted their service in what is a very peaceful area of the Michael Herbert Memorial Garden. It has provided an outlet for a lot of those veterans to turn what was, in the old days, an old basketball court into a garden. It includes a memorial garden where the veterans purposely plant poppies so that they can actually bloom in November. So, just yesterday, that memorial garden had the red poppies in bloom that so aptly signify Remembrance Day. Again, the cadets from Immanuel College were involved in that ceremony. They attended, were part of the catafalque party and spoke as well.

Interestingly, one of the speakers talked about their 19-year-old grandfather who served in bombing missions over Germany. In fact, he survived over 50 missions there when Bomber Command had one of the highest casualty rates of all the services in that European conflict. To survive 50 missions really relies on a lot of luck, but I suppose the attitude that they brought to that is remarkable for the harm's way that they put themselves in. Again, it was good to have the current generation at Remembrance Day. As I said at the start of my speech about Remembrance Day, it is to remember not only Armistice Day from 1919 but the subsequent conflicts and the service men and women who served.

It was also an opportunity, while laying the wreath, to have a moment's silence to recall my grandfather and his service. He served in the Royal Australian Navy at the start of World War II, going over to England to protect those waters in the English Channel and the Irish Sea. He then came back to Australia to defend Australia's shores during the Pacific theatre with the Japanese coming into World War II.

I also reflected on my great-uncle as well, who flew Beauforts and sadly was lost returning from a mission. The plane was not recovered. It was last sighted flying over an island where there was a spotter who reported that the engine sounded like it was in difficulties, and that was the last visual sighting of it before it was unfortunately lost. Remembrance Day has memories personally and, of course, as the representative of Morphett, that story is not unique: there are many of them and we pay tribute to them.

As I get back to the ANZAC memorial on Moseley Square, it really goes to The Ode of Remembrance that is read out each Remembrance Day which ends with:

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

Mr DIGHTON (Black) (12:20): I would like to thank the member for Waite for moving this motion. I also thank the other members of the house. I always enjoy the reflections that you bring and hearing what occurs in other communities around our state and the different ways that our communities, our different RSLs, honour those who have served.

In particular, I want to echo those sentiments about the involvement of our younger people and our students in Remembrance Day. The member for Finniss talked about ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day. I think Remembrance Day is a bigger event for many schools—probably the timing has something to do with it—but in my experience as an educator, it is an important event for the school and it is heartening to see how much effort our schools often go to in having assemblies and Remembrance Day ceremonies.

I went to Hallett Cove where 1,000 students between the ages of Reception to Year 11 had a service. I was really impressed by the respect, the reverence and the understanding that was shown by those students throughout the service. That is a tribute to the school and to the teachers who put a lot of effort into making sure, in the lead-up to Remembrance Day, that students were aware of the significance of that day.

In particular, what happened at the service was the sharing of stories of family members of current staff members who have or are serving in our forces. That was important to allow the students to get a greater understanding through thinking about the impact on the families of the teachers who teach at the school.

I also want to recognise a particular reflection that was led by the armed services person, Chris—apologies, I do not have his title, but he gave an address. What I particularly appreciated about this address was that he talked about the importance of service and he talked about the importance of those who serve our nation through our armed forces. But he also made it clear that there are other ways to serve your community and he really encouraged the students to think about, 'How can you serve your community?' It doesn't necessarily have to be in the armed forces. I think that was a really powerful message for our students to hear because some of them might look at a service person, a man or woman in uniform, and say, 'That is not for me.' He made it really clear that they have a role to play.

I would say, from my experience as a former educator, that more and more young people are considering the armed forces, and that commitment, as a career path. I think it is worth celebrating the fact that there is perhaps, hopefully, a resurgence in people wanting to commit to service and to being involved in our armed services.

I want to say thanks to our RSLs—I have Christies Beach and Marion on either side. They are not in my actual community, but they are very close and they do fantastic work for our veterans. I also thank our schools, councils and other organisations for what they do in holding services to remember the sacrifice of those who have served our nation in our armed forces and to remember the sacrifice of the families who are also a part of that as well. I again thank the member for Waite for this motion and I commend it to the house.

Ms HUTCHESSON (Waite) (12:25): I want to thank all the members who have contributed to this motion and shared their reflections. The words spoken in this place today remind us that remembrance is not just an act of looking back but a continuing promise to honour, support and care for all who have served our nation.

We again recognise those who went to war and never came home, the brave men and women whose names are etched in the memorial halls across our state and whose stories live on in our communities. We honour those who returned carrying the visible and invisible scars of their service, and we acknowledge those who continue to serve today, protecting our nation and upholding the values for which so many lives have been given. We extend our deepest gratitude to their families, the quiet heroes who shoulder the weight of service and sacrifice, often without recognition.

We express our heartfelt thanks to our RSLs, to the Legacy organisations, to the Headstone Project and to every volunteer and community group that continues to stand by our veterans and ensures their memories endure. I would also like to acknowledge all the schools in my electorate that also held services yesterday. It was lovely to see them all gathered there, acknowledging, learning and also paying their respects.

May we always remember them, not only in silence but through our actions, our care and our collective commitment to those who have given so much for our freedom. Lest we forget.

Motion carried.