Rowan Ramsey (Grey, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The First World War broke out on 4 August 1914. It coincides with my birthday, as it so happens, but since I came along afterwards I do not think that I will take the blame for it! Thousands of young Australians volunteered and were dispatched to Cairo, awaiting deployment. In April they shipped out to the Gallipoli Peninsula with troops from New Zealand, Britain, and France. Winston Churchill, perhaps the most successful wartime leader of the 20th century, was appalled at the losses already accumulating on the Western Front and saw the imperative of opening up supply lines to Russia, keeping her, and consequently the Eastern Front, in the war. The plan was to land the allied task force to assist the British navy to break through the Dardanelles Strait, capture the Turkish capital Constantinople—now Istanbul—and support the Russians and the second front on Germany.

The landing at Anzac Cove on 25 April 1915, contrary to popular belief, was comparatively successful—with light casualties when compared with the British and French landings, which were virtual bloodbaths. The initial advances were strong; however, as Turkish reinforcements arrived throughout the day, the Anzacs were forced back and the scene was set for eight months of immovable trench warfare. In fact, on the first day they—that is, the Anzacs—came tantalizingly close to their objective, the third ridge, from where they could have commanded the peninsula. The landing, on the most inhospitable part of the coastline, either by design or accident, had surprised the Turks. Instead, poor communication and poor decision-making led to a decision to dig in on the second ridge. Ataturk was able to congregate his troops, occupy the high ground and force the Anzacs back.

Churchill's plan may have been overly optimistic, but had it been successful maybe the war would have been much shorter, maybe the peace with Germany more honourable. Maybe World War II could have been avoided. Maybe; maybe a lot of things, but we will never know. What we do know is that Churchill reflected in later life that maybe he had been overly obstinate, and his wife said at one stage that she thought he might die of grief at the losses that had eventuated. What is not in doubt though is the bravery and selfless dedication to country and mates displayed by the Anzacs—by the cream of the manhood of a nation only 14 years into its independence. It was when legend was born, where the nation proved to others it was to be relied on to defend democracy and battle oppression throughout the world. It is those traits and ideals that we remember and honour today.

It was right across the Grey electorate, an area about 10 per cent bigger than New South Wales, on Anzac Day—and not only on Anzac Day, but the whole week before and some days after—that the Centenary of Anzac was commemorated. In Port Augusta, two weeks before Anzac Day itself, we saw the passage of the eternal flame, through to the War Memorial in Canberra. It was received there by the mayor, and it was a wonderful thing to be part of that commemoration ceremony as it moved through Port Augusta.

In Ardrossan, the week before Anzac Day, we met for an Anzac march on behalf of the whole of the Yorke Peninsula. Later that day I had the honour of launching a World War I book that had been put together by Professor Don Llongo on Private Sidney King, a boy from Koolywurtie. He was a local lad. The war diaries were supplied by his granddaughter, Sandra Klopp. It was one of the projects that we were able to help out with the Anzac Centenary grants. As I said on the day, the war diaries of Private Sidney King, who had his war experience on the Western Front, were very much the story of an ordinary hero. Many times the history of war is written in the eyes and the words of the prominent participants, but Sidney King was an average footslogger who was out in the trenches, and he told the story of the disaster unfolding around him.

In Whyalla, the day before Anzac Day, I had the opportunity attend the vigil that is mounted by the young service groups there—the Navy cadets, the Army cadets, St John's, CFS volunteers and other groups. It is a wonderful thing to meet those young kids as they stand there for that 24-hour vigil. The dawn service was at Whyalla, and I thank the President of the RSL, Matthew McDonnell, and Warick Songer, for the wonderful service, and there were record crowds. I think this has been echoed right across Australia. In fact, with the Anzac Centenary grants we were also able to help out with the refurbishment of the gates to Memorial Oval in Whyalla.

Then my wife Teresa and I travelled to Port Lincoln, where we caught the 11 o'clock service. The RSL people down there—Garry Johnston and Dave Gaffe—gave a great hand in organising the event, along with the Port Lincoln City Council. It was during this time that, rather sadly, there was a medical evacuation and a helicopter landed on the main oval at Port Lincoln. The sound of the helicopter, for many of those who had experienced the war in Vietnam, would have brought back chilling memories.

From there, interestingly enough, we travelled to Gallipoli Beach, which is about 50 kilometres out of Port Lincoln, near Coffin Bay. Gallipoli Beach was, of course, where the film Gallipoli, with Mel Gibson, was filmed all those years ago. A local group had put together a commemoration ceremony there on the cliffs, and it really was quite moving. In 2011, I had the honour of attending the dawn service at Gallipoli, and the landscape is remarkably similar. Following that, we attended a history presentation at the Wanderah hall, and we were back in Port Lincoln that night for an Anzac ball. So if the legs were not worn out, we did a bit of dancing to go with it.

The next morning, we continued to Gladstone where there was another project that we were able to assist with the Anzac Centenary grants. The community of Gladstone had previously had a World War I commemorative foundation which was vandalised back in the 1960s. It fell into disrepair and was eventually removed. They have rebuilt it and it looks fantastic. Full congratulations to Richard Stott, the driver in that community. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to open it and to see the enthusiasm in the community for the commemoration of Anzac Day.

There was one more event—as I said, it was a very long haul getting through Anzac commemorations. At the Wanderah hall we were able to assist with the Anzac Centenary grant helping to restore the stained-glass windows in the local hall. There was a wonderfully moving service on the Sunday afternoon, which really capped off the rest of Anzac Day for the local member—that is me, and my wife. I must say that I was well aware of other events and was invited to many others, from Ceduna in the west to Coober Pedy in the north and Eudunda and Yorketown in the south. Every one of them had the biggest crowds in at least 40 towns, and more towns than ever are pausing to remember those who have gone before us and given their all for this country. They have gone to the oddest places and the furthest reaches of the world to uphold the rights of citizens and the principles of democracy and to defend the principles that Australia is built on. I thank them for their wonderful efforts. As a nation we say those wonderful words at every Anzac gathering and every gathering of the RSL: Lest we forget.

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