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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-05-01 Daily Xml
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ANZAC Day

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (15:37): I rise to speak about ANZAC Day. Obviously, 25 April this year was a very important day of remembrance for all Australians of the many tens of thousands of people, service men and women, that left their loved ones to fight for the freedom that we enjoy today. In Chaffey, thousands of people across the Riverland and the Mallee attended some very moving ceremonies. There were some 15 services across the electorate, three of which I attended. We were there to honour and respect some of those servicemen that never came home to see their loved ones. They showed incredible strength, courage, determination, endurance, mateship and bravery, and they fought for the freedoms we have today.

People from all over the regions attended the services; they were very well attended. Some of those services were at Barmera, Blanchetown, Bowhill, Cadell, Loxton, Mantung, Morgan, Moorook, Karoonda, Renmark, Sanderston, Sedan, Swan Reach, Waikerie, Walker Flat and Kingston on Murray. They were extremely well attended. Many of the services had record numbers. I noted that over a thousand people attended the Barmera service, as they did at Renmark. I attended the dawn service at Loxton.

I want to pay tribute to those people that did come along to pay their respects. Loxton had over 800 people, Waikerie had over 500. Moorook, a beautiful little river community, had over 220 for their service that morning. I was proud to attend the services, as I said: the dawn service at Loxton with President Jim, at Waikerie for the morning service with President Paul, and then the late morning service at Renmark with President Jason. It was a proud moment, as it is every year, to attend the services as The Last Post rang out.

I lay wreaths at all those services that I attend. I also attend the Cross of Sacrifice for a silent service to pay my respects to those who served—some came home and some never did. That is why the Riverland is a great serviceman community. We are reminded of that every day with the returned servicemen horticultural blocks.

It was great to meet and talk with community members, so many of them still active in their local communities. It is great to see the young people coming out. Schools are very well represented at all the services. It is gratifying to see the regional Returned and Services Leagues do a great job and they are supported by a great band of dedicated volunteers.

I want to thank Tom Copley, a volunteer who laid a wreath at the Barmera Garden of Memory. Before that I attended the Loxton RSL sub-branch ANZAC dinner. It was great to have some very entertaining speakers, but no more so than Howard Hendrick OAM. Howard has attended 70 ANZAC Day services. He is an absolute legend. He is 100 years old. He was a fighter pilot in a Lancaster and he was given the opportunity to propose the toast to the evening. I also want to thank Troy Bolton for his insight as a peacekeeper. He is currently on a mission, his last mission, and he told a great story of his role as a peacekeeper.

The Headstone Project is never more important. The Headstone Project is a great program that recognises grave sites in cemeteries of fallen soldiers. The Headstone Project is organised by Headstone Project SA. I attended the Berri cemetery in recent times. Private Stodart, a World War I veteran, was given a dignified burial and a burial site. It was great to see.

It must be noted that, of the 680 unmarked graves across South Australia that the band of volunteers are now identifying, more than 60 of them are in Chaffey. In late June this year, 17 headstones will be remembered and recognised. It is great to have those decorated servicemen and women, who have lain there silent for many years, recognised. As an important part of our returned servicemen program, the Headstone Program is a great initiative.

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