Chris Bowen (Prospect, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

On 5 September I attended the commemoration at Smithfield RSL of the Battle for Australia day. Smithfield RSL was the first RSL club in Australia to commemorate this battle, as many now do across the country. It refers, of course, to the battle for Milne Bay in 1942. The Battle for Australia day commemorates a series of battles in which Australia was defended, Kokoda being the most famous and prominent but also including Buna, Gona, Milne Bay and of course the bombing of Darwin. Six thousand Australians lost their lives on the Kokoda Trail, 243 people were killed in Darwin, and 161 were killed in the battle for Milne Bay—and the list goes on.

Ceremonies for the Battle for Australia commemorate the small group of men and women who could and can say, ‘I saved my country.’ There are very few people around the world who can say that, and it is appropriate that as a nation we commemorate them. The word ‘Kokoda’ is as important in the Australian legend as the word ‘Gallipoli’ and the word ‘Tobruk’. We must take every opportunity to commemorate those men and women who saved our nation.

I would particularly like to congratulate Mr Alex Pekin, who was the member of Smithfield RSL who initiated this commemoration. It was a very moving ceremony on 5 September, and I was particularly pleased to see so many young people and so many schools represented at the ceremony. I congratulate Smithfield RSL; Bill Newell, the president; and Alex Pekin for another wonderful commemoration of Battle for Australia day.

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