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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-05-03 Daily Xml
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ANZAC Day

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (11:58): By leave, I move my motion in an amended form:

That this house—

(a) acknowledges that ANZAC Day was commemorated on 25 April 2023;

(b) pays its respects to the families of those ANZACs who tragically lost their lives during the Gallipoli campaign; and

(c) remembers all Australian personnel and animals who have been injured or killed in action.

ANZAC Day is a very special day for all of us in this great country. It commemorates the landing on those Gallipoli shores. It is commemorated on 25 April each year and it marks the date of the landing of Australian and New Zealand forces at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. The battle at Gallipoli against Turkish armed forces—there were some thousands of German forces involved as well—was Australia's first battle of World War I and our first major war of the industrial age.

I have some statistics here and, depending on where you look, they vary through different historical records, but I will go through the ones I have here today. There were 489,000 allied troops who served and 316,000 Turkish troops who served. There were 56,000 allied troops killed at Gallipoli. At least 7,500 of those troops were Australians who lost their lives and 18,500 were wounded. There were 56,000 Turkish troops killed.

Although ANZAC Day is commemorated on the anniversary of the Gallipoli landings, we must remember the service and sacrifice of our service men and women and their families, carers and loved ones who have served our country through all conflicts.

In relation to the ANZACs, it was a rough night for our sailors and our forces from the Army coming in with their small boats, using torches, trying to find lit torches and trying to find where they were to land. They landed at the wrong beaches, but there were many heroics. You can just imagine these young men suddenly realising the reality of the fire raining down on them from the heights of the Dardanelles. It would have really lit them up and let them realise that this was it; this was what was happening.

For the next eight months, the Australian and New Zealand forces had many battles and many losses. I reflect on the famous charge at the Nek, where the forces were only about 30 metres apart. The timings of the shelling from the naval boats were not synchronised quite right with the men onshore. The Navy was shelling the trenches of the Turkish soldiers and then it went quiet for a while, but it was not timed with the synchronisation of watches for the four ranks of 150 soldiers, the cream of Victoria and Western Australia, to jump out of their trenches. Sadly, most of them became casualties. If not killed, they were severely wounded.

There were other battles. There were many Victoria Crosses that were received during that campaign during battles at Lone Pine, Quinn's Post and other areas of the battlefield during the eight months, but it is always remembered as the most successful retreat, to a degree, when the stalemate—and it was a stalemate—ended with the successful retreat off the beaches. Virtually every man was off the beach before the Turkish soldiers realised that we had left. It certainly forged our place in history, along with our New Zealand comrades who had many thousands of losses as well—injured and killed.

Certainly we reflect on the service of Australians. They served in the Boer War, of course, and in World War I and World War II. In the First World War, which went between 1914 and 1918, Australia raised an army of more than 400,000 from a population of less than five million people. Sadly, 60,000 were killed and 156,000 were wounded, gassed or taken prisoner. They are amazing numbers for a country with such a small population at the time.

In the Second World War, from 1939 to 1945, nearly one million Australian men and women served in World War II and 500,000 of those served overseas, but we take credit for those who served here and overseas, because it does not matter where you serve, your effort is highly valued. Thirty-nine thousand gave their lives in the Second World War and a further 30,000 were taken prisoner.

I have spoken before in this house of my great-uncle Joe who served in the First World War. He had the million-dollar wound. He was walking between two colleagues on the Somme and got shot through the nose from a side angle. He was repatriated back to London to be hospitalised and get fixed up. By the time he went back to the frontline, the war was over.

I had uncles serve in all three areas of our troops—Army, Navy and Air Force—during World War II. Two of my uncles served in Korea. In fact, one of my uncles served in the Navy in World War II and then he served in the Army in Korea. Obviously, we have had many more conflicts since. The total, sadly, for all conflicts per the Roll of Honour is 102,911 Australians who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our great country and for us to have a better life. In other conflicts:

Korea: over 17,000 served, 340 killed, 1,216 wounded and 29 prisoners of war;

Vietnam: around 60,000 served—and obviously some of these were on National Service—521 died as a result, 30,000 wounded;

peacekeeping: 16 Australians have died during peacekeeping operations and, as with all wartime experience, some of those casualties were from natural causes and illness; and

contemporary conflicts from 2001 onwards: sadly, we have had 59 people pay the ultimate sacrifice.

You would probably rate Rwanda, even though that was around the mid-1990s. My brother served in the peacekeeping in Rwanda, which got upgraded to war service 13 years later. Obviously, there are different rules of engagement under peacekeeping. It is interesting to note it got upgraded to active service those years later. Then, obviously, there were two rounds in Iraq. My brother served in 2005-06 in Baghdad. That is just a personal reflection of my family's service, but I really do pay tribute to our modern-day military personnel and the men and women who are signing up.

A friend of mine whose stepson recently signed up is now operating out of Sydney with the Army and I have another friend whose son has recently gone through basic training. I really commend them for taking up that training to protect our great country into the future. We are in interesting times when we talk of defence and what we are doing to enhance our capability but, whatever we do, it gets down to the brave men and women who sign up for that service and no greater service can they give than for this great country. They are willing to pay that great sacrifice.

I also want to talk about the reservists, who make up a large portion of our armed forces. I know the minister was a reservist and I was really proud to be there when he received his medals recently after all those decades, so congratulations, sir. The reservists are a vital part and I see there is a look now federally at working out how we can keep more reservists in action to assist our full-time soldiers in defending this great country.

While we rightly remember and commemorate their sacrifice, we must also remember those who returned home wounded either physically or emotionally and their families and carers who were left to deal with the effects of their exposure to war. Certainly, there are a lot of different effects. There is post-traumatic stress disorder, or shell shock as it was called in World War I, and the things that people cannot get out of their head, whether it is the sound of helicopters (the choppers), whether it is the horrors that they see and hear that no-one sees in normal day-to-day life. These people are prepared to go on the frontline and are posted in various locations to defend our great country.

I have some statistics on the number of animals that have served in our armed forces because they certainly assisted us in our time overseas. In World War I, Australia shipped some 120,000 horses overseas as part of the Australian Light Horse contingent and, sadly, the soldiers were ordered to shoot their horses at the end of service. Many did not and they let them go in the desert. I think there was only one horse that was brought back.

I have read the book on Bill the Bastard, a very famous horse from World War I that served in the Middle East and Gallipoli and is featured in an artwork at the new Romani aged-care centre in Murray Bridge. There are also explosive detection dogs that have served for us and there is a huge list of animals that have served alongside our men and women: horses, dogs, carrier pigeons, camels and even a rooster chick have served alongside Australia's service men and women throughout our involvement in over a century of conflict.

I think Australia has certainly made its mark—sadly, we have had to make a mark because of conflict around the world in over 100 years—but for percentage of population I think we truly have made ourselves proud as a great nation with our people prepared to put their hand up and to make that supreme sacrifice. I truly commemorate all those people. It would be over 100,000 who have paid that supreme sacrifice. To all our ANZACs who have served and are still serving our country, whether here or overseas, I just say thank you.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL (Mawson) (12:14): I rise to support this motion and also to talk about some of the local ANZAC celebrations that we have had around South Australia in the past few weeks.

While there were dawn services held in Willunga, McLaren Vale, Myponga, Kingscote and many other parts of my electorate of Mawson, I was actually in the member for Stuart's electorate, the Minister for Veterans Affairs, on ANZAC morning at a little, tiny place called Cradock. The population there is 12, which is made up of six just from one family; that is, Dave and Amy, who have the pub, and their four kids.

I want to tell this story because it is a wonderful display of how even our smallest communities can come together and pay their respects on ANZAC Day, that day that is so special to all New Zealanders and Australians where we honour those men and women who have served our nations over many conflicts over many, many years.

I want to tell the story about Maurie and Maggie Burke. Maurie is an ex-Northern Territory copper. He had 32 years in the police force in the Northern Territory. He is originally from Victoria. His wife is originally from the Adelaide Hills, and she always had this great desire to live in the Flinders Ranges. One day Maggie presented Maurie with some papers to sign. He said, 'What's this?' She said, 'It's to buy the old police station in Cradock in the Flinders Ranges.' Maurie told me that, not one to argue with Maggie, he signed away and they moved to Cradock, and that was in 2010.

Just before ANZAC Day in 2015 as the centenary of Gallipoli was to be celebrated, he looked at the little war memorial they had in Cradock and decided that where it was located was pretty underwhelming. It was a block in the town covered in rubbish, old car bodies and things like that. Maurie and Maggie bought the block and then set about having a working bee, or a series of working bees, and by ANZAC Day 2015 they had built a new memorial and it was looking absolutely fantastic. Each year they build another memorial to another conflict, another tour of duty by Australian and New Zealand men and women.

This year, they unveiled the most stunning tribute and memorial to the Light Horsemen. It was a silhouette, so well before the dawn it was lit up. It is a magnificent memorial and one that any town or city in South Australia would be very proud of, but to come from a community of just 12 people is quite amazing.

I met Ivan McKenzie. He is a 71-year-old Adnyamathanha man who served in the Royal Australian Navy from 1970 to 1976. He did tours of Vietnam, and he came back to Beltana where he was a roo shooter. It was really, really good to have a chat with Ivan about his service for Australia. The things that he has done and seen in his lifetime not only make him very proud but also the people of the Flinders Ranges very proud of his commitment and his great work.

Justin Brown, who is a veteran of two UN peacekeeping tours to Namibia and to Cambodia in 1989 and in 1992-93, conducted the service. It was really good to catch up with him.

Out of that small population, and those who have a property in Cradock but maybe live somewhere else and come back, there is quite a high percentage of ex-service men and women. It was tremendous to meet all of them on ANZAC Day and to share with them the dawn service.

In 2015, I was in Villers-Bretonneux for the centenary, and I thought that would take a little bit of beating in terms of emotion and everything else, but I felt that this year, in that tiny, little town in the Flinders Ranges, I was every bit as emotional as I was on the Western Front. I commend everyone in involved. Lest we forget.

The Hon. G.G. BROCK (Stuart—Minister for Local Government, Minister for Regional Roads, Minister for Veterans Affairs) (12:19): I also support this motion by the member for Hammond and congratulate everybody who speaks on it today. World War I marked Australia in a way that is almost impossible to fathom in the current times. From a population of less than five million we raised an army of more than 400,000, of which some 330,000 people were deployed overseas.

By war's end, over 60,000 had been killed, 5,565 South Australians or, put differently, nearly one in five of those deployed overseas. Compared to Australia's modern-day population that would roughly equate to 240,000 Australians being killed in a world war. Can you imagine the impact that would have on families and communities all over our nation?

Military service and the veteran community have had a very long and important place in my life and that of my family. I am the son of a World War II veteran, brother of a Vietnam veteran, and my younger brother also served a period of time in the Regular Army. As the member for Hammond indicated, I served in the Army Reserve for approximately six years, firstly in Port Pirie and then in Port Adelaide. As the member for Hammond also indicated, he was there when I was very emotional and very proud to accept my medals as a reservist just recently.

My time in the reserves helped instil the values of respect, discipline, self-confidence and experience in how to overcome adversity, and to trust in your mates. I have always been grateful for the service of those who fought in defence of our country and the values we hold dear to everybody in our community, in our nation and, in particular, this house.

Since becoming Minister for Veterans Affairs I have gathered a deeper appreciation of the sacrifices made by the families of defence members, and particularly their families. On that note, let me share with you the motto of the Australian War Widows:

We all belong to each other, we all need each other. It is in serving each other and in sacrificing for our common good that we are finding our true life.

The Australian war widows are our nation's chief mourners. The Australian War Widows (SA) organisation has continued to support and give voice to war widows at both state and national levels, as well as providing companionship and a supportive community for war widows across all the regions in South Australia and the whole of the nation. That is why I was extremely proud earlier this year to announce that 19 October was declared War Widows Day in South Australia.

It is worth noting the bipartisan nature of the War Widows Day declaration. I would particularly like to acknowledge the support for the proposal from the member for Hammond and the member for Dunstan. I know the members of the Australian War Widows (SA) greatly appreciate the support that they receive from all sides of politics in this state. The bipartisan nature of the veterans affairs portfolio is important and was on display, as always, on ANZAC Day.

I had the opportunity, along with the member for Heysen, to attend the ANZAC Eve Youth Vigil. It was very humbling and very emotional to see those young people there, and the dedication from not only the cadets but all the emergency services at that vigil. They were very proud to do it—you could see it in their faces and the way they held their heads high. I have the utmost respect for those young people being able to do that. Whilst the member for Heysen and myself were there, there were a couple of people who may have been overcome with not only the emotion but standing together for a fair amount of time, but, again, that was absolutely fantastic and I am sure the member for Heysen would agree with that.

The member for Hammond and member for Mawson also talked about the dawn service in their speeches. There were dawn services across all South Australia and Australia. Some people might complain about having to be there at 5.30 in the morning, but in the days of the actual event there was no time. I have been doing dawn services for many years as a councillor, as a mayor and as a local member. Now, as the Minister for Veterans Affairs, I try to get to as many as I can.

I recently had the opportunity of attending the dawn service here with the Premier, the Deputy Premier and the Leader of the Opposition. I have attended in the regional areas for many years but when you are actually at the big one in Adelaide, the emotion is there; you can feel it. You can feel the pride not only in the community but also in the people who are there on the day.

I also had the opportunity to interact with parents of some of the people who did not have their name on the roll on the monument there. We had the opportunity to unveil a new plaque and to see the mothers and fathers of those children who had not been on there was very emotional and it is very gratifying that they are at long last there. Some died not in combat—for various reasons—as a result of service, but it was wonderful to see that acknowledgement and the proudness of those parents there.

I also had the opportunity to attend the march. Whilst it is very important in regional areas and communities across all of South Australia, the Adelaide march this year was absolutely fantastic and, according to my information, it was the biggest in five years. We saw people participate from all avenues and all forces representing all nations, and I think around 150 from the current armed forces marched, and again we saw the emotion.

One example was a group of three veterans, and one was a pretty elderly gentleman. He was staggering along and being held up by the person on his right-hand side. A couple of times he stalled and I thought he was going to fall over but, with his passion and determination not to fall, he continued on. There were kids aged 17, 18 and even younger, and a couple of people were over 100 years old. We need to keep this dedication and commitment going, this recognition of what we have done to come to where we are today.

I also had the opportunity to go the Cross of Sacrifice in North Adelaide following the march, an area of absolute quietness to reflect on history and so on. Also, along with the member for Frome, I had the opportunity on the way home from the Adelaide services to call in at Watervale, a little community in the Clare Valley. They do not have a dawn service; they have a service at the going down of the sun. That is ideal because, as others members find with all the dawn services, it is hard as a local member to go to all of them. When I was the member for Frome, I was able to go there at 5.30 in the afternoon, and I must admit the camaraderie afterwards was absolutely fantastic.

The Returned and Services League of Australia is to be congratulated on running magnificent services across all of South Australia. The RSL's ANZAC Day committee, so ably led by Mr Ian Smith, does a magnificent job to ensure we commemorate ANZAC Day in a solemn and appropriate manner. The over 103,000 Australians who paid the ultimate sacrifice deserve nothing less. I have heard from the state president, Mrs Cheryl Cates, that attendances at dawn services were the highest in five years. These services are an important part of how we remember those who have sacrificed so much to preserve our way of life.

I am acutely aware that apart from our World War II, Korean and Vietnam veterans, Australia has deployed in excess of 65,000 men and women to theatres of conflict since 1999, many of those from South Australia and many of them on multiple occasions. It is my hope that we will enjoy the benefits of what they and previous generations of Australian Defence Force personnel have fought and died to preserve—whether it is summers by the beach, rounds of golf, enjoying the company and food of people from across the world we welcome to our nation and our state, following your favourite football team (I am not too sure about the Crows after last week) or, more importantly, watching daughters, sons and grandchildren enjoy the freedom to grow, learn, explore and follow their dreams in a safe, tolerant and supportive manner.

Our former Prime Minister John Curtin expressed this sentiment not long before his death in 1945 when he said:

Is not ANZAC Day a day that breathes the very soul of freedom?...And is not freedom the hope of the world?... The men of ANZAC handed on a torch, now firmly clenched and carried high, by the fighting men of today. From their hands it will go on to the coming generations.

It is most important—and I keep going on about this—that we keep going on and not only commemorate and remember the sacrifices those young kids made over many years and over all the generations but also remember, as the member for Hammond indicated, the families left behind and the trauma, the anguish and the mental health issues. ANZAC Day will always be a very sombre time of reflection in our nation's history. Lest we forget.

Ms PRATT (Frome) (12:29): I wish to thank the member for Hammond for bringing this motion. I rise to speak with great sincerity about ANZAC Day and our service men and women. ANZAC Day in the electorate of Frome was spent in solemn reflection alongside thousands of people who turned out to pay their respects at dawn to the fallen, the returned, the widows, the children and those currently serving. I rise today to express my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to the RSLs across the electorate of Frome, as well as community organisations throughout the Mid North who were able to turn out and put on a remarkable ANZAC Day service yet again.

These services were not only a moving tribute to our fallen heroes, but also a testament to the spirit of unity and remembrance that lies at the very heart of our society. I was delighted to witness the active participation of young people in all the ANZAC Day events that I was able to attend. Seeing the younger generation engage with such enthusiasm and respect was uplifting and inspiring and noted by the older attendees at multiple services that our contribution, our respect and our traditions are in safe hands with the next generation. We saw them fostering a sense of pride, gratitude and responsibility in their younger years.

The involvement of schools, youth organisations and local clubs in organising their various activities to complement and showcase the collective efforts also ensured the continuity of remembrance and respect. As the member for Stuart touched on previously, it is uncommon in country electorates that one can attend many activities, but I was pleased that some events were staggered so I was able to attend a number of community events.

I started my morning in the fabulous community of Two Wells at the southern end of Frome. The turnout was extraordinary. Mayor Mark Wasley and I are pretty confident that we saw numbers between 1,500 and 2,000 standing at dawn at the memorial. Something very special took place at that time. The Indian Pacific train had requested, through its agency, whether its travellers could stop and participate in a dawn service and Two Wells was the spot. We heard the train's dinging and coach buses brought travellers probably from all across the country to participate in a very special dawn service at Two Wells where I was honoured to deliver the ode. No more sacrosanct words can be spoken on that day.

Credit goes to the organisers. Kay Boon was the MC, the Pellizzari family and many volunteers were responsible for the breakfast afterwards and 300 or 400 people participated in that in the absence of an existing RSL. I repeat, not just RSLs but community groups are committed to preserving the traditions of ANZAC Day.

I followed that service with participation in the Wasleys memorial service. The township of Wasleys is marking its 150th anniversary as a town. In more specific terms for ANZAC Day with special guests we saw an unveiling by local artist Glen Haar of his commemorative statue nicknamed affectionately 'Charles'. You need to see 'Charles' to understand that in all of his metallic glory there are pieces missing from his form. That is really to signify the fact that no service person returns home in one piece.

Following Wasleys, I was able to dash across the electorate to Manoora. Country MPs know that whether it is big towns or small, you are going to experience a very touching service and Manoora was no different. We were all blessed to experience the detailed history of the HMAS Manoora serving in World War II. She had been commissioned with her sister ship, the HMAS Kanimbla, at the time commissioned as an ocean liner but, when needs must, by 1939 she was decked out to serve her country as an armed merchant cruiser. I thank everyone at Manoora for their attendance and the fellowship we enjoyed in the hall afterwards over soup and supper. It is clear, as I said, in big towns and small, the preservation and tradition of ANZAC Day is holding strong.

I want to echo the sentiments of the member for Stuart in his commitment after a long day to attend our fabulous, eerie and touching service in Watervale. It is a very special and unique service to find at dusk, at the going down of the sun. Our mark of respect is not complete at 6.30 in the morning, but it is an entire day of opportunities to pay our respects, and Watervale certainly does this very well, supported by the Clare town band and Leonie Moore's dedicated attention to pulling together the evening service.

I thank both the member for Stuart and the member for Hammond for their commitment to the mental health priorities of our veterans. Holding the mental health portfolio, I think it is essential that across the chamber, across government and across portfolios we make sure that their needs are front and centre. I will just touch briefly on a story that came to light from locals in the electorate of Frome, across different townships, about Private M.F. Haydon 2ndAIF.

Michael Francis Haydon was born in Saddleworth in 1919. He left his schooling in Saddleworth at 12 and began work as a general farmhand milking cows and, in his late teens, droving sheep. When World War II broke out, he worked out that he was going to be paid more in the Army than as a drover and he enlisted. He joined the convoy that left Melbourne bound for the Middle East in 1940, and he served on the frontline at Tobruk. Mick was a resilient man. He suffered gunshot wounds to his thigh, resulting in an overnight stay in hospital, and returned to re-join his unit the next day, as so many men did.

About a month later, he was shot in his leg and shrapnel wounds to his right thigh occurred, requiring a hospital stay of 11 days this time. A few months later, a recurrent ulcer on his ankle became infected. I will not expand on all the injuries he sustained, but it is symbolic of many men at the time as to the injuries that they sustained. On several occasions, larrikin Mick went AWOL or participated in conduct to the prejudice of good conduct and military discipline, which sadly saw him confined to barracks and forfeit pay. I am sure he was not on his own.

Upon returning to Australia, Mick settled in Saddleworth and met the love of his life, Connie. He was a founding member of the Saddleworth RSL sub-branch, secretary of the football club, patron of the cricket club, president of the Night Owls Bowling Association, greenkeeper of the bowling club and committee member of the Saddleworth springtime dinner dance. His dedication to the returned service community, as well as his own, saw him awarded life membership of the RSL in 1983, and I know across all our electorates and communities there are many stories like his.

In closing, I want to take this opportunity to again pay my thanks to those men, women and precious animals who have previously served, and perhaps paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country, and to those who continue to serve to the present day. I commend the motion.

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