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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-05-01 Daily Xml
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ANZAC DAY

Ms THOMPSON (Reynell) (15:31): I rise to follow the remarks made by the Minister for Veterans' Affairs earlier today and to mark ANZAC Day 2012. This was the 10th time a youth vigil has been held in the south. We were the first regional vigil to take its place after the city vigil, and I can only express my untold admiration for Brian Holecek, who was chair of the vigil committee and who was responsible for developing the very well-documented manual that is used by our vigil and, I understand, by most of the other youth vigils in the state now.

This year's vigil started by acknowledging the two local soldiers who have been killed in Afghanistan: Sapper Darren Smith, who was killed by a roadside device, and Private Thomas Dale. We considered it important for the young people participating in the vigil to recognise that death comes unfortunately close in all areas of combat. We also want to recognise Bob Slater from St John's, who had been with the vigil as an enthusiastic supporter from the very beginning but who passed away this year.

However, there is much that is positive about the ANZAC youth vigil in the south. It is now something that happens almost automatically, with the youth organisations, sponsors and supporters, volunteer supporters and schools participating almost with just a gentle reminder that it is time for them to do their bit. One of the organisations I have admired all along is Chem Loo Chemical Toilets which, every year, brings out the chemical toilet, puts it in place at about 4 o'clock on the 24th and at about 10 o'clock on the 25th takes it away again. We do not have to worry about it, but it would be a worry if it were not there.

We have two new sponsors this year: the Lonsdale Hotel and Muffin Break from Hallett Cove. We also have a new organisation involved in the vigil, and that is Eldercare Cottage Grove from Woodcroft. The residents of Eldercare, under the supervision of their craft coordinators, prepared rosemary tokens for the schools to lay on the memorial as part of the youth vigil ceremony. We had about 24 schools participating from Onkaparinga this year, and while the various youth organisations are undertaking their guard of the memorial, the schools lay tokens of respect on the memorial. This involves usually two children from the school, and they are usually accompanied by the principal or a senior teacher. It is quite a bit of effort, so we thank all those schools, principals, teachers and parents who participate in this.

It was very pleasing that this year the vigil ceremony, which is held about 8.15 on the 24th and concludes just after nine with the reading of the ode, was attended by about 1,000 people. The dawn service was attended by so many people it blocked the road, with a police estimate of somewhere between 7,500 and 8,000 people. The increase in the community participation in ANZAC Day has been noted everywhere, however I think the increase in the participation in the south has been brought about particularly by all those young people who now look forward every year to participating in the vigil and bring their parents and grandparents and everyone else to also participate in the ceremonies.

In talking to some of the parents, I learnt that their children text them in the middle of the night to tell them what times their duty will be and parents and grandparents come out at two o'clock in the morning to sit by while their children are part of the youth guard. We usually have about eight to 10 participants at any one time. We have found that it is really important to march them around regularly so that they do not faint. This becomes a bit strange in the middle of the ceremony sometimes, when the young guard is marching around, but it is very important to look after them. I am often struck by the measures we take to look after children who are not much younger than those who went to war and sacrificed their lives for us.

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