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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2007-11-14 Daily Xml
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BEERSHEBA CHARGE

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (15:29): Following on from the member for Little Para's remarks yesterday, I would like to advise the house of three other significant commemorative events that I was honoured to attend on behalf of the Premier—two last weekend and another the weekend before on 3 November, and it is that event that I would like to remark on first. During that Saturday, the 3rd/9th Light Horse South Australian Mounted Rifles (holders of the oldest surviving military title in South Australia going back to 1840) commemorated the 90th anniversary of the Beersheba Charge.

The actual anniversary is 31 October and it was marked by a ceremony at the Light Horse Memorial—the horse trough that we all know on the corner of East Terrace and North Terrace. People gathered at 6pm to remember what has been called 'a reckless, daring feat', the charge of 500 thirsty men and horses to the water wells at Beersheba. There are many recountings of the charge where, with bayonets drawn, the two South Australian regiments combined together for the first time—and joined, I believe, by horsemen from Tasmanian ranks—to gallop through Turkish machine guns in a do or die effort to reach the wells.

I quote Honorary Colonel Roger Burzacott in an article in The Advertiser by Nadine Williams about that battle involving 20,000 men of the Desert Mounted Corps in a battle that had raged all day. Colonel Burzacott said:

They were country boys born in the saddle with a rifle in their hands. Man and horse were one fighting machine; our tradition is to remember the men and horses who died. This victory opened the way for the great ride to Damascus and the Liberation of Palestine nearly 12 months later. It has been an underrated victory and isn't even written in history books.

More than 100 men and 100 horses died that day—the only battle where enemy colours were captured, and these colours are still in our Australian National War Memorial in Canberra.

On Saturday, the 3rd/9th held a Trooping of the Colour at the Torrens Parade Ground. The current personnel of the 3rd/9th Light Horse South Australian Mounted Rifles went through their paces under retiring commander David Edmonds. The Barossa Light Horse re-enactment group was also present and guns were fired, with assistance from Margaret and Damien Monk, who stepped in to fill the breach, so to speak, at the last moment to help complete the ceremony. Later that night, the South Australian Mounted Rifles Association hosted a dining-in night also at the Torrens Parade Ground at which the association was presented with a genuine 1914 saddle, diligently located by David Edmonds—a wonderful parting gesture. I am indebted to the South Australian Mounted Rifles Association and the 3rd/9thSouth Australian Mounted Rifles for the opportunity to attend those occasions.

On Sunday 11 November, I attended the ceremony at Centennial Park hosted by the cemetery authority—the site of so many of this state's war graves, each with its own flag for a special day. The ceremony was officiated by military chaplain Carl Aitken, with the assistance of the Scotch College Pipes and Drums, Walford choir, air and navy cadets and a catafalque party by army cadets, who were superb in the heat. Later that day I attended the launch of the book Connecting Spirits 2006 at Keswick Barracks. Brigadier Tim Hanna facilitated use of the venue and very fine food was donated by Rosa Mateo, plus her time, with wines from Cockatoo Ridge, all supporting the authors Julie Reece and Chloe Oborn.

All proceeds from the sale of the book will assist future visits by students to World War I battlefields. Featuring a wonderful song written and performed by Eric Bogle, Lost Soul, it captures the emotion of the students of Meningie Area School and Birdwood High School on their journey of reconciliation to locate the grave of Private Rufus Gordon Rigney at the Harelbeke New Britain cemetery. Private Rigney was an 18 year old Ngarrindjeri man of the 48th Battalion. He was one of 45 indigenous men who lost their lives at Flanders Fields in perhaps the most horrendous of conflicts of all wars. Julie was one of the teachers on this year's Premier's trip to Europe for ANZAC Day and the final two chapters of the book feature the two winners from the Premier's ANZAC competition. They were Emily Cock from Birdwood High School and Ankur Verma from Mount Barker High School. Both students were present at the ceremony that day, which was well attended. At least 150 to 200 people were present in the room. Rob Kelvin was the MC.

The book is available through the schools. It talks of the amazing debt we owe to the indigenous soldiers who went overseas, who have never been recognised and who, until recently, were never even known of or named. The students gave really moving accounts of their days in the cemetery, and there was not a dry eye in the house as we looked at the CD which they had produced and which is also available. Future tours will be funded by the sale of the book. I commend the book to all members of the house and hope that they will take the opportunity to read it and, if it is not in the library, to purchase their own copy.

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