Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

I want to open by taking the opportunity to detail some of the important accounts from the Gallipoli campaign and World War I. The campaign at Gallipoli began with the arrival of the first Australian troops at 4.22 am on 25 April 1915. Throughout that day, more Australian and New Zealand troops arrived on the beaches. By the end of day one, it was clear that victory for the ANZAC forces would not come easily, and a bitter stalemate set in. Two unsuccessful attempts to force a breakthrough—the battle of Krithia in May and the August offensive—proved both costly and futile. After almost eight months on the peninsula, the ANZAC forces were evacuated, remarkably without further loss of life, on 20 December 1915. Between 50,000 and 60,000 Australians served at Gallipoli, more than 19,000 were wounded and 8,709 were killed in action. There were also 11,000 New Zealanders at Gallipoli: 2,721 were killed and 4,752 were wounded. This Anzac Day, just like every other before it, I not only thought about the Gallipoli campaign but also about the entire First World War and the century of service that has flowed from it.

Australia's involvement in the First World War came at a great cost to our nation. Out of a population of just under five million in 1914, more than 417,000 Australians volunteered to serve in the First World War and some 332,000 served overseas. Australia suffered one of the highest casualty rates of the allied forces. More than 61,000 made the supreme sacrifice and some 152,000, just fewer than one in every two who enlisted, were listed as casualties by the time of the armistice in November 1918.

Rural and regional Australia was particularly hard hit by this casualty rate. The men and women who wore the uniform of the First Australian Imperial Force were, by their own admission, ordinary Australians. They were called to duty to defend their nation and the values we hold dear. However, it was their extraordinary deeds on the battlefield which set them apart. This proud tradition has continued in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations involving Australians, spanning more than a century of service.

I was honoured to be able to contribute in my own little way to the lead-up to the Anzac Centenary through the Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program. The purpose of the Australian government program was to enable communities to support the centenary commemorations at a local level. I received 24 strong applications for the program and was able to award 15 organisations funding under the program.

One of the successful applications was from the City of Albany Band and the Albany Sinfonia to purchase the musical score to perform an Anzac Centenary memorial concert. I was privileged to attend their concert on 24 April at the Albany Entertainment Centre, which was packed with a sell-out crowd. We were treated to an acoustic delight of music ranging from classical to contemporary and reflective pieces, interspersed with reflective World War One poetry. The evening closed with a rousing rendition of Pomp and Circumstance to which the enraptured crowd belted out, 'Land of hope and glory.' The enthusiastic crowd were invited to sing along with other popular old favourites and were stunned to silence during a unique arrangement of Waltzing Matilda which included a lone bugle solo of the last post. Congratulations to all involved, including the City of Albany Band director, Jim Neil, and the Albany Sinfonia conductor, Vickie Reynolds.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the electorate committee who assisted me in developing an approach for commemorating the Anzac Centenary across O'Connor. Their hard work has made the 15 projects a reality.

This year there were more than 50 Anzac Day services held across O'Connor. This was a clear indication of our strong commitment to acknowledging the legacy the Anzacs forged for the service men and women who have followed in their footsteps.

Some towns used the Anzac Centenary to do something a little different with their services. The Shire of Kondinin unveiled a light horseman statue at Yeerakine Rock. The statue evokes the memory of the young locals who joined the 10th Light Horse Regiment all those years ago. Attending the unveiling was John Browning and his extended family, descendants of Charles John Browning, a young farmer who fought and survived some of the First World War's fiercest battles. They remembered the ultimate sacrifice of his cousin Bernard Browning and gave thanks for Charles's return, albeit badly wounded, to continue his life in WA. Many lines of his family, including his great-great-grandchildren, are still dotted on farms all around Kondinin.

The $16,500 horseman statue, paid for in part by a $10,000 donation from the Kondinin Community and Recreation Council, $2,500 from the Kondinin Hotel Community and Sporting Association and $4,000 from the Carols by Torchlight 'no smoking' grant of 2013, is a special tribute to mark the Anzac Centenary. The Kondinin RSL and shire president, Allen Smoker, said the horseman statue was designed to represent all those who served in conflicts over the years. Although he came up with the concept, seeing it in the dawn half-light blew him away and he expects many others will have the same emotional reaction.

For the Browning family, it is a link to Charles, known as 'CJ', a talented horseman who fought in the 10th Light Horse alongside WA Victoria Cross recipient Hugo Throssell. They arrived in Gallipoli in late May but their first major fight was the notorious charge at the Nek. The waves of soldiers sent out of the trenches and mown down were halted just before it was their turn.

Later, the regiment fought in the battle for Hill 60, where Charles was blown up and evacuated with serious injuries, including the loss of one eye. He returned to the farm in Kondinin in 1916. In 1918, his cousin Bernard was killed on just his third day in France. Charles married his widow, Phyllis, who had two small children. They had four more.

In Albany, 4,000 people were at Mount Clarence at the Desert Mounted Corps Memorial dawn service. Albany, which was the final departure place for more than 40,000 of the first Anzacs, was the birthplace of the dawn service tradition when Padre White led his congregation to the top of Mount Clarence to mourn and remember the fallen in 1930.

From 31 October to 2 November 2014, the Albany Anzac Centenary event was successful held. This event commemorated the 100th anniversary of the departure of the first convoy of ships that carried the Australian Imperial Force and the New Zealand Expeditionary Force to the First World War. The official commemorative activities included a Royal Australian Navy ceremonial sunset, a troop march, a commemorative service and a ship open day. The weekend's activities were not only a fitting tribute to those who departed Albany for the First World War a century ago but a poignant reminder to pause, reflect and commemorate all those who have served since. The troop march and commemorative service conducted on 1 November 2014 were broadcast live across Australia on the ABC. For anyone interested, the ABC has produced the ANZAC Centenary: Albany convoy commemorative event special DVD set as a record of the weekend's activities.

Also a part of the Anzac Albany weekend was the official opening of the National Anzac Centre by Prime Minister Tony Abbott. The centre honours the Anzacs of the First World War and offers visitors a deeply personal connection with the Anzac legend revealed through interactive multimedia displays, unique artefacts, rare images and film and audio commentary. The key phases and events of the First World War are told within the centre through the personal stories of the Anzacs themselves, as visitors follow one of 32 Anzac related characters throughout the war. The experience concludes with the discovery of each Anzac character's final fate and a tribute wall where visitors may leave messages for the Anzacs. Fittingly, the National Anzac Centre recorded its 50,000th visitor on Anzac Day 2015.

In Narrogin, more than 400 people arrived at Memorial Park for a pre-dawn service Many returned at 9.30 am for the march from the town hall to Memorial Park, where a formal service took place in front of almost 500 people. Dozens of wreaths were laid by members of the community as students representing each school read the honour roll of soldiers who fought in Gallipoli and on the Western Front.

Narrogin Senior High School year 12 student Emily Ballantyne played the last post after addressing the crowd and remembered the nurses of World War I. She recounted their arrival on the island of Lemnos and praised them as the forgotten heroes of Gallipoli. The touching moment capped off a series of services that happened throughout the region and in Narrogin. While I could not attend all 50-plus services across the electorate, hearing these stories about the many successful services is very rewarding.

I want to finish with a quote from Narrogin RSL Sub-Branch President Ries Chattillon, who said something very poignant that resonated with me. He said, 'The centenary is simply another day to remember the fallen soldiers. The other 99 services are just as important as this one.' He is right. I think there is a tendency for people to get swept up in the magic of the number '100'. While it is important to commemorate the centenary, it is equally as important to celebrate 101 years since the landing at Gallipoli, and 102 years and so forth.

I like to hope the same types of numbers will attend dawn services next year and that next year we still want to acknowledge the legacy the Anzacs forged for the servicemen and servicewomen who have followed in their footsteps.

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