Andrew Nikolic (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is very rare for one word to be enough to arouse or inspire a nation, and 'Gallipoli' is one of those words. For Australia, Gallipoli is a kaleidoscope of memories and emotions, of debates and reflection and of endless analysis. It is all at once a single word, a national story, an enduring legacy. The Anzacs at Gallipoli were the initial heart and soul of Australia's federation because they were our first national effort after the Federation of states a mere 14 years earlier.

Gallipoli was our first national commitment to a major international cause, and war historian CEW Bean wrote that Gallipoli was responsible for Australia becoming fully conscious of itself as a nation. Before Gallipoli Australians might have described themselves as Victorians, Queenslanders, New South Welshmen or Tasmanians but perhaps not Australians. Gallipoli changed that. It changed Australian attitudes.

When we think of the place, Gallipoli, it is revered for the national sacrifice and tragedy that occurred there; but Australians also have every right to be proud of the fact that our national contribution was so swift and professionally competent. In just eight months, Australia raised and trained the Australian Imperial Force to participate in one of the most complex operations in war—an amphibious assault onto known and defended enemy positions on the other side of the world. It was a staggering technical achievement which has not been matched in our nation's military history. But the landings at Gallipoli foreshadowed more trials ahead. The great Allied summer offensive followed, including the Australian battles of Lone Pine and The Nek and then an eventual, near-faultless withdrawal conducted in early December 1915. These occurred in appalling conditions against a brave and resourceful enemy. The Australians fought well and cleanly, coming to respect their Turkish opponents, who reciprocated that respect. Eight thousand Australian deaths were recorded just at Gallipoli; a further 28,000 Anzacs were wounded in an area about the size of the Launceston town centre.

But something else died at Gallipoli: the fanciful notion that some harboured that war was about colour, pageantry, movement and the tactics of the Napoleonic battlefield. Advances in technology during that period changed the nature of war. We saw inventions like the machine gun, barbed wire and tanks and, later, poison gas, which turned the Great War into one of poison, position, stagnation and death. It is fair to say that no single event in Australian history has cast such a long, dark shadow or projected the nation into a more pronounced period of reflective gloom. The Australian novel My Brother Jack perfectly captures the enduring loss and grief in so many Australian homes for at least the next two generations. It was a period of intense and often lonely suffering behind the privacy of family and dimly-lit, closed homes.

But we must also recall those who followed our first Anzacs: the Australian Light Horse in Palestine; our troops in France where 100,000 of our countrymen fought and lived in mud and trenches; and our World War II veterans in campaigns in North Africa, Syria, Greece, Crete, and places closer to home like the Kokoda Trail. Since then, there has been Korea, Malaya, Borneo and Vietnam; the Gulf War; a variety of United Nations and Multinational Force operations; Timor, the Solomons, Iraq and Afghanistan. As I said in my first speech in this parliament, there have been many highlights in my 31-year career in the Australian Army, but on the top of that list are the occasions I have had to lead the world's best soldiers in peace and war. My military career encompassed many postings around Australia and I had the privilege of living and working in places like Israel, Syria, Lebanon, the Philippines, the United States, Afghanistan and Iraq. I consider myself fortunate to have served our country on operations, mainly because of the quality of the Australian service men and women that served with me. Their quality, character and commitment have enhanced our enviable international reputation. They have added new chapters to our proud military history. People often ask me: 'How have our service men and women since Federation kept rising to the many challenges they are confronted with?' The answer, I believe, lies in the commitment they make to Australia and to each other. These are people who personify the word elan, which is about a collective confidence—a group decision to keep going and not give in; to look after your friends and put their interests and the needs of your country before your own. Those first Anzacs showed us all of those qualities. They showed us that brotherhood is sharpened by adversity. We see that in the film Gallipoli, during the carnage of the final attack. In the book The Broken Years by Bill Gammage, on which the film was based, he writes:

And when the command came, the front rank left the trenches and charged forward into withering fire … and was mown down.

The second rank followed.

The young Lieutenant turned to the third rank and said:

Well men, in a few seconds we will all be in paradise—and I will lead you.

At Gallipoli in the training camps and hospitals these young soldiers exhibited the traits and qualities which are acknowledged as part of our uniquely Australian character: courage, resilience, compassion and, above all, mateship. If the spirit of Anzac lives today, and I believe it does, it is founded in the acts of the men and women whose sacrifice we honour today. Our service men and women fought in the belief that their contribution would help to make a better world and what better way to honour their sacrifice than by striving for our best in our daily lives. In the words of a previous Prime Minister, John Gorton:

The foundation stones have been laid in war, so in peace we continue to build.

As individuals our efforts may often seem insignificant, but collectively we can all contribute to a better Australia.

Like us, many of the first Anzacs could trace their origins back to other countries and different cultures. From Gallipoli onwards, our Australian identity asserted itself with increasing strength. The lesson is that where we come from is of far less importance than what we become.

But we should also reflect on the resourcefulness shown at Gallipoli, which was carried forward by many of its surviving veterans. When you think of trusted brands in Australia, two immediately come to mind. The first is Anzac and the second is Qantas. It is wonderful for me, as someone who proudly wore the Australian uniform for over 31 years, to recall the unique connection of these iconic symbols, for it was two Australian Anzacs at Gallipoli who conceived of and later founded Qantas after the war in Longreach Queensland. They were, of course, Launceston-born Sir Hudson Fysh and Paul McGuinness. Both men finished the war as decorated heroes. Gallipoli, and indeed war in general, affords a rich vein of such remarkable vignettes.

In closing, let me briefly reflect on some occasions over the last 30 years, while serving in places like Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan where I had the opportunity to experience Anzac Day amongst World War I graves thousands of miles from home, many of which cannot be easily visited today. Each precious moment epitomised the strength of commitment that must have been required to put up with such extraordinary hardship, far from home and loved ones.

Unlike other battles, that glorify generals and diplomats, Gallipoli and the Anzac legend honours these ordinary Australians who did extraordinary things. I had the chance to reflect on their stories founded on human triumph against the odds and of courage, sacrifice and ingenuity. It is right that we remember them in this parliament today and that we also remember our other veterans over the last 100 years who have sacrificed so much for Australia. Their example is a challenge to us all to embrace the Anzac legacy of personal sacrifice, devotion to our work, mateship, team spirit and an unshakeable belief in the future of our country. Lest we forget.

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