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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
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VIETNAM VETERANS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA

Mrs VLAHOS (Taylor) (15:30): I would like to speak today about an event that I attended on Sunday afternoon at the Golden Grove Arts Centre to support the northern Vietnam Veterans Association, which is situated near the Edinburgh base within my electorate. It is certainly a wonderful group of men and women who support them in raising funds for northern veterans and for the general veterans community, both from the Vietnam era but also for contemporary veterans who are certainly a rich vein of people in our community in the north.

This particular day was a really special afternoon. It was particularly well attended because it was actually a musical afternoon where we had the opportunity of hearing the band of the 10th/27th Battalion of the Royal South Australian Regiment, and what a fantastic band it was. In the afternoon, we had an introduction from our MC, but we also had some fundraising events with Pedro Dawson and Ian Le'Raye, from the Vietnam Veterans of the north, talking to the crowd and giving them some feedback about wonderful projects that they have spent their fundraising money on.

In the first half, we heard the 20th Century Fox Fanfare, music from The Dambusters and a fantastic solo by a musician, Josh Koop, called My Funny Valentine. We had vocals by Corporal Portakiewicz, his brother Anthony Portakiewicz and musicians Koop and Tucker as well in GI Blues. We also heard music from the Bridge on the River Kwai. We had Mack the Knife, with a vocal accompaniment by the MC Mr Williams, then we had 007. It was just a wonderful selection of music and it went on for several hours.

The thing I really want to talk to you about today is how this band supported the northern Vietnam vets and what a proud history the 10th/27th Battalion Fighting Band has in our state. This particular Royal South Australian Regiment is the only infantry battalion band in the Australian Army, and is the oldest serving band in Australia. Its heritage begins with the formation of The Adelaide Rifles, circa 1860, and it draws its lineage from the bands that have served in all South Australian infantry battalions which have served in both world wars.

These battalions were among the first ashore at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915, and they earned the respect of the German Afrika Korps in 1941 as The Rats of Tobruk. They were also among the first to defeat the Japanese in the jungles of New Guinea and played a crucial role in turning the tide of the Japanese advance on Australia during the Second World War.

Throughout these campaigns, an integral part of the battalion was its bandsmen. These men featured prominently in the bitter fighting that occurred and all too often were amongst the casualty lists. As stretcher bearers, they had the responsibility of recovering the wounded and were required to expose themselves to deadly enemy fire. It was here that they earned the reputation of The Fighting Band.

In 1936, the regiment was presented with brass drums by the citizens of Adelaide and they still proudly carry those today on ceremonial parades, emblazoned with the battalion's battle honours. An ornately decorated drum major's staff was presented in 1938 by the Manchester Regiment (a sister regiment) and is paraded on important occasions. Today, the band performs at regal, vice-regal, ceremonial and civic functions, such as the one we saw the other day, and provides support for the South Australian-based units in the ADF.

All of the members of the band are Army Reservists, combining the obligations of civilian employment with the considerable commitment necessary to be in the band. They are required to maintain a high level of competency in their musical, military and weapon-handling skills and to be medically and physically fit. Members of the band are cross-trained as Reserve Response Force, infantry soldiers, combat signallers and drivers.

The band's repertoire encompasses many musical styles, including military music, classical, modern popular, jazz and vocal arrangements. Its versatility was on display on Sunday with the magnificent breadth of music we heard.

In 1985, this talented and dedicated group of musicians was given unprecedented recognition by being presented with the Advance Australia Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. It was the first time that this honour had been bestowed upon an ADF unit. In 2002, the band was invited to perform at the prestigious Edinburgh Military Tattoo as part of the Queen's Golden Jubilee. The band has also performed in Glasgow and at the International Highland Games in Perth, Scotland.

The band of the 10/27 RSAR and the members of the battalion are committed to perpetuating this proud history and tradition, and we are very fortunate to have in our state a military band of such a high calibre. So, bravo to the Northern Vietnam Vets raising funds for the veterans in the north, particularly the people of the battalion, who contributed so admirably on Sunday.

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