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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-04-29 Daily Xml
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ANZAC DAY

Mr BIGNELL (Mawson) (15:40): I rise today to talk about ANZAC Day celebrations, not just here in our own communities, but in other parts of the world. Last Thursday night, Madam Deputy Speaker, you were present at the Morphett Vale war memorial for the youth vigil which occurs on ANZAC eve each year, along with me and our federal colleague, Amanda Rishworth, who spoke very well at the service. I know that, madam, you have been very involved in the formation of that group of CFS cadets, police cadets and other youth from around our local southern community, who do such a wonderful job keeping guard over the war memorial for the 12 hours before the dawn service. Once again, it was a very good service last Thursday night, ANZAC eve, and I commend all those who were involved in it, especially the local RSLs who put their support behind it. I think it is a fantastic night to see the youth of our area come together with the veterans of our region to thank those who have gone before us in past generations to serve our country in some of the most inhospitable parts of the world and put their lives on the line for future generations.

On ANZAC morning, like so many members in this place who attended dawn services, I was at the McLaren Vale dawn service, which has grown so much over recent years. I know from talking to other members of this place that in recent years everyone has seen huge growth in attendances at their local dawn services. At McLaren Vale we had well over 1,000 there on Friday morning. I spoke to someone who was at the nearby Willunga dawn service and they said there were more than 500 people, so it is a really wonderful thing to do. I think in our national calendar that ANZAC Day is the most important day of the year for us to remember who we are as a nation.

As someone who has been to Gallipoli, I feel I have never been in a more Australian place and yet it is on the other side of the world, but when you stand there you think of those young men who lost their lives, and they really were lambs to the slaughter so far from home. Last October I was in Beersheba in Israel. Of course, that was the scene of the last great cavalry charge in history, and it was Australian soldiers who did the unthinkable. There was absolutely no way the plan was ever going to come off. They needed to belt across the desert on their horses and get to some wells, which were the only source of water in the region. If they got there, they would be able to maintain for several months their campaign against the Turks and the German forces.

No-one believed it was possible, including the enemy, so it took them by surprise when Australian soldiers on horseback started galloping towards them and here were these troops in the trenches and the Australian horses were coming towards them at such a fast rate and so unexpectedly that the Turkish soldiers could not even reset the sights on their guns, so the bullets went straight over the heads of the Australians.

We have seen a lot in recent days of services around the world on the Western Front at the Somme, through Belgium, France and, of course, at Gallipoli, but at Beersheba just a few hours ago the Governor-General, seven war veterans and 35 army personnel were present for the dedication of the Park of the Australian Soldier. They unveiled a memorial commemorating the charge of the Australian Light Horse at Beersheba 90 years ago last October. When I was there, I was very disappointed to see the wells that everyone had fought so hard for 90 years ago in a state of absolute desecration almost for what is to us, as Australians, one of our most significant places in history.

They were full of plastic bags from a local market around the area. So, I wrote to the new federal Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Alan Griffin, and he got straight onto our ambassador in Israel, who then contacted the Beersheba municipality. They also agreed that it was not acceptable, and have cleaned up the site and removed all the plastic bags. They will continually monitor it and make sure that these plastic bags do not blow in there from the local markets. So, I think that my trip there with the Young Australian of the Year, Tania Major, was timely, in that it picked up on this fact and we got things cleaned up.

I also want to thank Richard Pratt, one of the great philanthropists in Australian history, who provided the money for this fantastic memorial in Beersheba, for his ongoing support of the relationship between Israel and Australia. I think it is a good thing. Israel was not even established 90 years ago: it was established 60 years ago this year, and for the Israelis to take up this cause is commendable.

Time expired.

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