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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
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Bangka Strait Massacre

Mr DULUK (Waite) (12:24): I move:

That this house—

(a) recognises the 76th anniversary of the 1942 Bangka Strait massacre;

(b) welcomes the permanent memorial to honour the sole survivor of the massacre, South Australian Vivian Bullwinkel, and all Australian servicewomen; and

(c) honours the memory of Australian women killed in all theatres of war.

Australian servicewomen began to play a formal role in the Australian military in 1948, when the Army's nursing service was granted corps status. Prior to this, women, of course, still participated in Australian action, just not formally within the Australian military. Women's participation in the Australian military first originated in 1898, with the creation of the Australian Nursing Service's ANS of New South Wales. The ANS sent 60 nurses to the Boer War.

In the First World War, nurses again played a vital role in the Australian Imperial Force, as it was then known. Women served in Egypt, Lemnos, England, France, Belgium, Greece, Palestine, Mesopotamia and India. The Department of Defence states that 2,562 women served in the Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) in conflicts abroad, and a further 423 worked in military hospitals in Australia. Unfortunately, between 1914 and 1919, 29 Australian servicewomen died on active service. Of the 2,562 servicewomen, 380 were awarded medals for their service.

In the Second World War, 3,477 women enlisted to serve in the AANS. Of those, 71 servicewomen died on active duty abroad. Let us also not forget the nurses who served in Australia and off the coast of Australia during the war, as Australia was being threatened by Japan. One such example is the horrific end of the second voyage of the hospital ship AHS Centaur from Sydney to New Guinea in May 1943. Whilst off the coast of Queensland, the Centaur was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine, even though it was clearly marked as a hospital ship. Of those on board, 268 died, including 11 nurses. Of the 64 survivors, Sister Ellen Savage was the only surviving nurse.

Between 1966 and 1972, 43 nurses served in the Vietnam War. There were also 210 Australian women civilian nurses who served in volunteer medical teams through the Department of Foreign Affairs. Australian nurse, Barbara Black, is listed as one of the Australian service personnel who died on active service in Vietnam.

It is important that today, when we live in a country free of the devastation of war and terror, we recognise the ultimate sacrifice of those servicewomen in their service from the Boer War up to the conflicts that they serve in today. This motion is specifically about commemorating the 76th anniversary of the 1942 Bangka Strait massacre. Of the 71 servicewomen who died in the Second World War, 21 of those were servicewomen horrifically massacred by Japanese forces on Bangka Island in 1942.

The Bangka Strait massacre was one of the most horrific war crimes committed by the Japanese during the Second World War. In February of this year, we marked the 76th anniversary of this massacre. Vivian Bullwinkel was born on 18 December 1915 in Kapunda. She was the sole survivor of the Bangka Island massacre. Vivian had a mission to help her friends who had signed up to serve and defend Australia and she felt that she could serve both her nation and her community as a nurse.

In 1941, Vivian was assigned to the 2/13th Australian General Hospital (AGH) and sailed to Singapore. In January 1942, the 13th AGH was forced to evacuate Malaya to Singapore after the Japanese invaded the previous month. On 12February 1942, Vivian Bullwinkel and 65 other nurses attempted to escape Singapore on board the SS Vyner Brooke. On 14 February 1942, Japanese aircraft bombed the SS Vyner Brooke.

As the ship was sinking, Bullwinkel, 21 other nurses and a number of surviving civilians swarmed onto Radji Beach on Bangka Island. One hundred British soldiers joined them on the beach the next day after their ship had also been bombed. It was agreed by everyone that there was no way to get off the island and that the only thing to do was to give themselves up. A small group of men went to find the Japanese to assist them. Japanese soldiers appeared and separated them into groups and, according to the written testimony of Vivian Bullwinkel, she stated:

They separated the men from the women in two bunches and the ship's officer tried to tell them we were giving ourselves up as prisoners of war. They [the Japanese] just ignored us.

The Japanese soldiers forced the 22 Australian nurses, as well as one female civilian, into the water where they were shot from behind with machine gun fire. Vivian Bullwinkel had been hit but the bullet had gone through her body and she feigned death. Vivian found another survivor, Private Cecil George Kingsley, and they survived for 12 days before surrendering to the Japanese. Vivian decided not to tell her Japanese captors that she had been part of the massacre and, as they did not provide medical attention, they did not see her wound.

After arriving at Muntok gaol, Vivian told the Australian nurse what had occurred to those nursing sisters on the island. The story was written down and passed on to Colonel White, commander of the 10th AGH. Vivian Bullwinkel then spent the next 3½ years as a Japanese prisoner of war in Sumatra. The Japanese refused to recognise the Australian nurses as prisoners of war, meaning they were treated as civilian internees, and the Japanese were not following the Geneva Convention.

Thirty-two of the surviving nurses from the SS Vyner Brooke were captured and placed in POW camps, including Vivian. The nurses who were not massacred had swum and survived in the ocean for about 18 hours and arrived at different parts of the island. Eight Australian nurses died in the POW camps. Conditions in the camps were atrocious and many died from tropical disease and the effects of malnutrition. Upon her release, Vivian weighed only 25 kilograms. Only 24 of 65 nurses who were aboard the SS Vyner Brooke would survive to the end of World War II.

Vivian Bullwinkel gave evidence into Japanese war crimes at the Tokyo War Crimes Trial. As the sole survivor of the massacre she was able to let the public know what had happened to her fellow nurses and also provide answers to the families of the nurses who had died. Vivian Bullwinkel returned to Australia and lived until July 2000.

Seventy-six years after the 1942 Bangka Strait Massacre, it is important that we reflect and remember the 21 Australian nurses who died on Radji Beach, the nurses who drowned following the bombing of the boat, and the eight nurses who died at the POW camps, and to remember the sacrifice they made for Australia so that we can enjoy our freedom today.

The South Australian Women's Memorial Playing Fields were established in 1953 when former premier Sir Thomas Playford GCMG gave 20 acres of reserve land at St Marys. The playing fields are located on the corner of Shepherds Hill Road and Ayliffes Road, St Marys, in my community. Since the 1950s, that site has been used to encourage female participation in sport, as a living memorial to the nurses who were massacred at Bangka Strait Island.

In 1956, the grounds were dedicated to all South Australian servicewomen who served in all theatres of war. The playing fields are the only dedicated women's memorial like it in Australia. Each year on the closest Sunday to 16 February a Bangka Day Memorial Service is held. Once again, it was an absolute honour to be there this year together with the member for Elder, the member for Davenport and the member for Florey who were all in attendance, and many other members of parliament and, indeed, members of returned services.

I would like to thank the officeholders of the South Australian Women's Memorial Playing Field Trust Inc. for their work in honouring the memory of Bangka Island. The patron of the trust is Mrs Lan Le, the president and public officer of the trust is Bruce Parker OAM, the three vice-presidents of the trust are April Williams, John Woodberry and Rod Murray, the honourable secretary is Brenda Calder and Debbie Baker is the honourable treasurer. I would like to thank them for their work.

I am very much enjoying the work at the moment of a fundraising committee set up by Lady Mayoress Spear, from the City of Mitcham. This is a working committee of members of the trust together with the member for Elder and the member for Boothby, Nicolle Flint, to raise money for the permanent war memorial. Members of the community can make donations to the permanent memorial and jump on the website to make a contribution to that fund.

The Marshall Liberal government went to the 2018 election with a multimillion-dollar commitment to upgrading the Women's Memorial Playing Fields, which is so important. By upgrading the ovals at the playing fields and providing adequate clubrooms and change rooms, we will ensure that women's sport is improved in South Australia, as well as undertaking the important task of honouring the memory of Australian servicewomen who made the ultimate sacrifice. We are committed to grassroots sport, and this government wants to live up to the ideals of the then premier Playford in ensuring that the playing fields are a permanent memorial to the memory of Bangka Island.

The clubs that will benefit from our reinvestment in the site at the Women's Memorial Playing Fields include the Cumberland United Women's Football Club, the Sturt Lacrosse Club, the Sturt Lions Football Club, and Woods Panthers Netball Club. Hopefully, seeing about 2,000 women and boys as well participating in sport at the site reflects that permanent memorial.

In terms of some of the clubs that use the site, we have the Cumberland United Women's Football Club, led by their passionate president, Paul Denton, who is a very strong advocate for the continual use of the site by its members and his club. The Cumberland United Women's Football Club has over 230 members and was established in 1931. They became the only women's club in 2004 when they moved to the site on Shepherds Hill Road. They are the largest female-only soccer club in South Australia. They have four senior teams of 15 players, and 11 junior teams. They are an inaugural member club of the Football Federation of South Australia Women's National Premier League. The club has seen previous players represent Australia in the Matilda team and in the women's league. They are a very strong female football club.

The change rooms and the current site at the Women's Memorial Playing Fields are in much need of love and attention. There are shared amenities at the site and there are currently a lot of safety issues, including with asbestos. There is a lack of appropriate facilities for both male and female change rooms. There are no disabled-access facilities or baby change facilities at the site. As I said, there is asbestos contamination. Also, a big issue for the user groups at the site at the moment is the lack of facilities that can be used for hosting trophy nights and presentations, and the lack of a general club feel.

It was certainly our commitment and plan that we took to the election to have that site redeveloped not only to become a multisport facility but to ensure that the user groups have appropriate facilities for growing grassroots sports participation, because one thing that we can do is support grassroots participation. I know, several weeks ago, at one of the home games for Cumberland United, they played for the Bangka trophy. As a living memorial, we certainly recognise the importance of grassroots sports.

Another one of the very important user groups is the Sturt Lacrosse Club, which was founded in 1899 and has men's, women's, and boys' and girls' teams. Originally, the club was based in Unley, but now is based at Shepherds Hill Road. They use the May Mills change rooms. Once again, they are a very proud club and have about 190 players, including 100 female and 90 male members.

Another important group in my electorate that uses facilities within the City of Mitcham is the Sturt Lions Football Club. They play at Karinya Reserve and are one of the largest soccer clubs in South Australia, with over 400 players. At times, they use the Women's Memorial Playing Fields for their activities as well. When you have 400 members and so many teams, the importance of finding a permanent home is very high.

The growing demand for southern area female sports and sports facilities is only increasing, and it is vital that women and girls can participate in sport with adequate clubrooms and change rooms. As I said, part of our election commitment is to also invest in the upgrading of the existing memorial, ensuring that it remains one of the pre-eminent war memorials in Australia to Australian servicewomen. The upgrade of the Women's Memorial Playing Fields Trust and the memorial will only enhance the commemoration services in February, which go from strength to strength every year.

Since 1898 and the creation of the Australian Army Nursing Service, women have been participating in all theatres of war. From the Boer War up until now, they have sacrificed their lives for Australia and their sacrifice and the significant role they played should always be remembered.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light) (12:39): I rise to support this motion moved by the member for Waite on behalf of the opposition. The opposition recognises the importance of the 76th anniversary of the 1942 Bangka Strait massacre, which occurred on 16 February. This horrific event was caught up in the historic fall of Singapore to the Japanese imperial forces. A total of 140 Australian nurses had been stationed in Singapore prior to the Japanese attack. These nurses were part of the hastily prepared evacuation of Singapore ordered on 6 February, which involved three ships, all of which were to encounter enemy attack.

While two of the ships managed to reach Australia despite death and injury, the Vyner Brooke, carrying 65 of Australia's nurses, was to meet a more horrific fate. Having disembarked from Singapore on 12 February, the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft in the Bangka Strait near Sumatra and quickly sank. Many did not survive this attack, but 22 of the Australian nurses made it ashore on Bangka Island, joined by a group of British soldiers. Having decided that their best chance of survival was to surrender to the Japanese imperial forces, the group was split, which exposed the Australian nurses, who were subsequently discovered by Japanese soldiers.

Subsequently, the British soldiers were either shot or bayoneted, and the Australian nurses were forced towards the water and machine gunned. It was amid this horrific massacre that the extraordinary experience of Vivian Bullwinkel occurred, and the opposition welcomes the erection of a permanent monument honouring Vivian Bullwinkel, a famous South Australian nurse and the sole survivor of the Bangka Strait massacre.

Amidst the carnage of the ambush, Ms Bullwinkel was hit by machine gun fire but, very fortunately, the bullet passed straight through her body. Through some miracle, she was able to float in the water, pretending to be dead, until she had an opportunity to escape ashore and into the jungle. Vivian was the only Australian nurse to survive the massacre. She met Patrick Kingsley, a wounded British soldier, while in the jungle, where they stayed for 12 days.

Some accounts of the story say that the two decided to surrender; others suggest that they were captured. In any event, the two were taken to prisoner of war camps on 28 February. Patrick Kingsley unfortunately died as a result of his wounds, but on arriving at the prison camp Sister Bullwinkel found 31 other nurses who had survived the sinking of the Vyner Brooke. She and her fellow nurses remained prisoners of Japan until the end of the war, enduring unthinkable hardship.

By the end of the war in 1945, 24 of the 65 nurses on the Vyner Brooke had survived. The erected monument is important because it draws attention to the contribution women made to Australia's armed services in all theatres of war. In most conflicts Australia has been engaged in, women were not forefront combatants, so their contribution has at times been overlooked. This monument recognises their important contribution. The opposition also honours all Australian servicewomen who have served in all theatres of war, including those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation. We are all indebted to them.

Ms HABIB (Elder) (12:43): It is with humility and honour that I rise today to support the motion to recognise the 76th anniversary of the Bangka Strait massacre and in doing so pay tribute to the memory of all Australian women who served in all theatres of war and honour those who currently serve. The freedoms that we enjoy today in our great country came at the ultimate price, and that was the sacrifice of many before us who fought and served for our country.

The Bangka Island massacre was committed on 16 February 1942, when Japanese soldiers ordered 22 Australian Army nurses to walk out into the surf, and once the women were waist-deep in water they were shot down by machine gun. All but one nurse, Vivian Bullwinkel, were killed.

I have attended a number of memorial services at the Women's Memorial Playing Fields, where each year, on the Sunday nearest to 16 February, a service is held to honour and remember women who served, whether that was in the Navy, the Army or the Air Force, and to honour those who made the supreme sacrifice for our country.

Often the story of the Bangka Island massacre is recounted, yet year in, year out I am no less saddened by the horror and inspired by the courage of our servicewomen. The thought of one brave woman lying in the ocean after being shot, pretending to be dead until the sounds of troops disappeared, highlights the terror that she would have faced and the courage that she showed. It is incumbent upon all of us to remember our history and to honour those who shaped it, particularly those who were willing to sacrifice their lives in the service of our country and our way of life.

The Women's Memorial Playing Field Trust, currently chaired by Bruce Parker OAM, and its fundraising committee, chaired by Lady Mayoress Tracey Spear, are currently working exceptionally hard to gain DGR status for the trust and to establish a permanent memorial to honour the 22 nurses gunned down in the Bangka Island massacre, to honour the sole survivor, Vivian Bullwinkel, and, more broadly, to honour all Australian servicewomen. I acknowledge their unwavering commitment and hard work over an extended period of time. I wholeheartedly support them in their efforts, and I know that Nicolle Flint, federal member for Boothby, and the member for Waite, who moved this motion today, do also.

I would also like to acknowledge two of the sporting clubs that play at the Women's Memorial Playing Fields, namely, Sturt Lacrosse and Cumberland United Women's Football Club—two great clubs creating a sports community of their own built on integrity, perseverance and inclusiveness. Recently, Cumberland United Women's Football Club held its inaugural Bangka Memorial Soccer Round at the Women's Memorial Playing Fields. It was a special soccer competition in which several girls' and women's soccer teams participated. The competition began with a bugle being sounded and included a minute's silence before each of the five games of the day were played.

Cumberland United Women's Football Club, Salisbury Inter Soccer Club, Modbury Soccer Club, Adelaide University Soccer Club, Metro United Women's Football Club, Fulham United Football Club and Cove Marion all participated in this special one-day girls' and women's soccer competition, honouring our Australian servicewomen. Kudos to Cumberland United Women's Football Club, led by Paul Denton, club president, for creating this innovative one-day soccer competition in which girls and women can participate in sport, learn about our history and be reminded that we are all but a thread in the fabric of our proud history.

We must find courage within ourselves, as Vivian Bullwinkel did 76 years ago as she lay shot in the surf but determined to live. We must find courage to stand for our Australian values and contribute to our great country, starting with our local community in some way, no matter how small or large. I commend this motion to the house.

Mr MURRAY (Davenport) (12:47): I rise to support the motion before the house and to reflect, in particular, on the sacrifice made by all servicewomen, but in particular the nurses who made the ultimate sacrifice at Bangka Strait.

As four members have pointed out, on 12 February 1942 at the fall of Singapore, a number of nurses and soldiers endeavoured to escape the onset of the Japanese in the ship, Vyner Brooke, which unfortunately was bombed. The end result was that 65 nurses onboard from the 2/13th Australian General Hospital were cast adrift. Two were actually killed in the bombing. The survivors were washed up onto Bangka Island, which was held by the Japanese. I am going to quote some reference to what occurred, and in particular Vivian Bullwinkel's own evidence in the matter, because it is not only poignant but it also highlights the extent of the courage shown by these women and the sacrifice and the poignant nature of what occurred to them:

At mid-morning the ship's officer returned with about twenty Japanese soldiers. Having separated the men from the women prisoners, the Japanese divided the men into two groups, and marched them along the beach and behind a headland. The nurses heard a quick succession of shots before the Japanese soldiers came back, sat down in front of the women and cleaned their bayonets and rifles. A Japanese officer, smaller and more 'nattily' dressed than his men, instructed the nurses to walk from the palm-fringed Radji Beach into the sea until they were waist deep in the waves. A couple of soldiers shoved those who were slow to respond. Twenty-two nurses and one civilian woman walked into the waves, leaving ten or twelve stretcher cases on the beach. Fully aware of their fate, the nurses put on a brave face. Their matron, Irene Drummond, called out: 'Chin up, girls. I'm proud of you and I love you all.' At that point the Japanese fired.

Vivian Bullwinkel described what happened next:

[They] started firing up and down the line with a machine gun...They just swept up and down the line and the girls fell one after the other. I was towards the end of the line and a bullet got me in the left loin and went straight through and came out towards the front. The force of it knocked me over into the water and there I lay. I did not lose consciousness...The waves brought me back on to the edge of the water. I lay there 10 minutes and everything seemed quiet. I sat up and looked around and there was no sign of anybody. Then I got up and went in the jungle and lay down and either slept or was unconscious for a couple of days...

Vivian Bullwinkel, as others have attested, was subsequently met on the beach by another soldier, who had survived being bayoneted. They survived for a further 12 or so days. He subsequently died, immediately after they were taken into a prisoner of war camp.

Vivian Bullwinkel was born here in South Australia, in Kapunda, in 1915. She lived a long and fruitful life. She died in 2000 in Perth. Her uniform, complete with bullet holes, is in the collection of the Australian War Memorial. She gave evidence of the massacre at a war crimes trial in Tokyo in 1947 and spent the remainder of her life devoted to the nursing profession and honouring those killed in the massacre.

In South Australia, the Bangka Day Memorial Service is held every year on the Sunday closest to 16 February. The memorial is conducted at the Women's Memorial Playing Fields in St Marys, quite literally across the road from the boundary of my electorate of Davenport. In 1953, the Women's Memorial Playing Fields came about as a result of the premier, Sir Thomas Playford, setting aside 20 acres of land specifically for women's sport, having been approached by a collection of women who were concerned about the lack of opportunities for women. The fields were specifically set aside to address that lack of sporting opportunities for women in Adelaide in particular.

In 1956, a memorial was erected and the whole grounds, along with a memorial fountain, were dedicated to South Australian servicewomen who had served in World War I and World War II. The Women's Memorial Playing Fields are the only dedicated women's memorial of its type in Australia. The Bangka Strait Memorial Service is conducted at the Women's Memorial Playing Fields on the Sunday closest to 16 February, from memory. That has been conducted at the site since 1955.

I was honoured to attend this year's service, along with the member for Elder, amongst others. It was deeply moving, and I was particularly struck by a PowerPoint-based presentation done as part of the memorial service itself which detailed each of the nurses killed. It had their photos and their service records, and particularly poignant was the young age of the majority of them. I was struck by the extent to which it doubtless would have had a massive impact on not just their immediate families but their whole community. If you consider we were a nation at war, to have defenceless women of such a young age who were going about their duty caring for the sick and those less fortunate than themselves to be killed in such a heartless and horrific manner, I think is particularly poignant.

The impact on their families has been immense, as was their sacrifice, and as a result it is fitting that we should remember their sacrifice and that of all women who have served our country in all theatres of war and in all conflicts. That is what the Women's Memorial Playing Fields now serve to do; that is what the motion seeks to commend. As the member for Waite has attested to, development is underway with the memorial playing fields which will better commemorate the sacrifice these women made, in particular Vivian Bullwinkel whose selfless contributions typify the contribution made by all servicewomen.

I am delighted that both sides of the house are committed to an upgrade of the Women's Memorial Playing Fields. As part of the development, there will be an enhanced memorial to commemorate the massacre. I endorse the comments made regarding the clubs that call the facility home, in particular the Cumberland United Women's Football Club, ably led by their president, Paul Denton.

As a parent of a daughter who has been a state sporting representative and as a sporting administrator, it is something I am deeply passionate about. The Cumberland United Women's Football Club, in my view, is a particularly apt living memorial to the sacrifice made by women in service of our country. Again, in conjunction with the member for Elder, I was honoured to be in attendance at their Bangka Day commemoration this year. I was particularly taken with the bagpipes being played before each game by one of the young ladies who plays with the club.

In conclusion, I look forward to working with all the stakeholders, in particular the current users of the facility, as the development of the facility in keeping with its status takes place both in terms of enabling young women to play sport and, in particular, commemorating the sacrifice made by the nurses on Bangka Island and all women in all theatres of war. In so doing, I commend the motion to the house.

Mr DULUK (Waite) (12:57): I thank all members for their contributions—the member for Light on behalf of the opposition for his important words, and the member for Elder and the member for Davenport for their contributions. This is an issue and a memorial in terms of the Bangka Strait massacre that not many South Australians or Australians actually know about. It is one that is important to our war history, our history of service and our history of sacrifice. Thank you to members of the house for playing their part in ensuring that those nurses who were sacrificed at Bangka Island were not sacrificed in vain and that their memory, their values and contributions to this nation are remembered. More broadly, I acknowledge the support of the house for the ongoing living memorial at the trust playing fields.

Motion carried.

Sitting suspended from 12:58 to 14:00.

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