Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Assistant Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

I welcome the opportunity to speak today on the importance of the Anzac Centenary and to recognise some of the people from my electorate who made this year's commemoration such a successful community event. One cannot underestimate the impact of World War I on the psyche of a new Australian nation. A nation of only 4.9 million people, a nation not even 15 years old, had 417,000 men volunteer for the Australian Imperial Force and sent 323,000 overseas. More than 61,000 were killed in action—more than one per cent of Australia's population at that time—and more than 150,000 were wounded.

Gallipoli was the beginning of that terrible sacrifice. Around 50,000 to 60,000 Australians served on Gallipoli. There were more than 19,000 casualties and 8,709 deaths recorded. They were amongst the first to die in World War I but not the last. While almost all Australians have heard of Gallipoli, it is important not to forget the sacrifices at Passchendaele, Fromelles, Pozieres, Polygon Wood and the deserts of Palestine and Sinai. What is important now is how we honour the sacrifice of those who served during World War I. I think we have done them justice.

On Anzac Day this year, hundreds of thousands of people attended dawn services across the country. More than 10,000 people attended the dawn service at the site in Turkey where Anzac forces landed on 25 April 1915. Another 7½ thousand people attended the dawn service at Lone Pine, and more than 6,000 attended the service at Villers-Bretonneux. Thousands more attended services in London, Belgium, Thailand, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia and Vietnam and throughout New Zealand.

I would like to add my thanks for the graciousness of the Turkish government and the people of Turkey. Some might think our relationship with Turkey to be passing strange—enemies during the Great War but now good friends. But I think it says something extraordinary about the character of the Turkish people that they welcome so many Australians to the place where our troops landed and fought their grandfathers and great-grandfathers 100 years ago.

It would not have been possible to have hundreds of ceremonies around the country and around the world without thousands of volunteers to make it happen. They have been doing the tasks that go into honouring our fallen in communities across the country and, more specifically, in my electorate of Cowper. With this in mind, I would like to acknowledge the contributions of volunteers of ex-services and RSL organisations in my electorate to commemorating the Centenary of Anzac.

The Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program has been very successful and has allowed communities large and small to recognise the importance of the Anzac legend. In the Cowper community we had a very committed group who assessed the applications for local projects. I would like to acknowledge the contribution of committee members, who included David Doyle OAM, Bob Payne, Bon Denner, James McLeod, Brian Mortimer, Alex Robinson, Paul Huggins, Allan Crouch, Jim Cameron and Robyn Rooth. The committee did a fantastic job of approving many projects, and I would like to place on record my strong support for the work of the committee and my thanks for the work that they did.

In Coffs Harbour, the hard work of the RSL sub-branch ensured that the local community had the opportunity to participate in Anzac Day events in addition to the traditional services on 25 April. They organised a display of Anzac and other World War I material which recognised the involvement of many soldiers from the Coffs Harbour area. The branch also hosted a family fun day and featured an audiovisual display of World War I, where people had the opportunity to learn more about the Anzac legend.

The Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery also restored a First World War honour roll and built a display for World War I medals which is now housed in the museum. Dr Leigh Summers and Terrie Beckhouse were instrumental in this project.

The hard work that these volunteers put in was most commendable in honouring our fallen. The ceremonies around the electorate of Cowper saw unprecedented numbers of people turn out on Anzac Day. I joined many thousands of people who attended the dawn service at the Coffs Harbour Cenotaph. The march later that morning was one of the largest in recent history. I congratulate all schools and community groups who participated in these events. Services were also held at Woolgoolga, Bellingen, Repton, Glenreagh, Urunga and Sawtell.

Kerry Bayliss and Dallas Burrage, from the RSL sub-branch in Sawtell, organised a display of military items that reinforced the Sawtell community's links with World War I.

I would like to acknowledge the efforts of Barb Piggott, Dick Nicholson and Tubby Bathgate in helping the Urunga RSL branch to get a new cabinet to display war memorabilia.

The RSL sub-branches in the Nambucca Valley, including the sub-branches of Nambucca Heads, Macksville and Bowraville, united to organise a special service at Bowraville on Anzac Day. Bowraville was the centre of local government at the time of World War I, and the local war memorial was located there. With the assistance of a federal government grant, the Bowraville War Memorial was restored and a book entitled The Story of Anzac was republished and distributed throughout the community. I acknowledge the contribution of John Kent, Graeme Allen, Jim Cameron, Bob Harriss, Roger Jones, Wendy Litchfield and Barry McDonald, from the sub-branches of the Nambucca Valley.

And I should not forget the small communities of Stuarts Point, Eungai Creek and Taylors Arm, who also hosted services on Anzac Day. As part of the centenary commemoration, Taylors Arm upgraded their marble honour roll through the efforts of Stuart Johnson and Raelene Ward. These small communities, like so many other small villages around the country from which many of our servicemen were drawn, have, importantly, commemorated the deeds of our Anzacs.

Anzac Day is always well supported in the Bellingen shire, and this year was extra special. The Bellingen RSL sub-branch created an excellent mobile display of World War I memorabilia and war equipment, which was showcased to schools and the community. The great work of Brian and Kathy Mortimer with the assistance of Rick Maunder ensured that the Anzac Centenary was appropriately recognised.

The Dorrigo community re-enacted the First World War recruitment march, while further south, in the Macleay Valley, services were held in Kempsey, Frederickton, South West Rocks, Hat Head, Gladstone, Bellbrook and Willawarrin. I would like to recognise the extraordinary effort of all those involved in making the services a success in local communities throughout our region.

Of particular note is the contribution of the volunteers from the South West Rocks RSL Sub-Branch and their president, Alex Robinson, who organised the construction of an impressive Remembrance Wall to commemorate the centenary. The wall is the centrepiece of a memorial path that remembers the fallen from conflicts that Australia has been involved in from the Boer War to Afghanistan. The wall features a large plaque of a World War I soldier, and the intention is to use the wall to commemorate the centenaries of future conflicts. I commend to the House the efforts of that particular sub-branch. I recommend that if you are ever travelling through South West Rocks and the Macleay Valley you should pay a visit to the wall and pay your respects.

The Maclean RSL Sub Branch organised a dawn service and then a march down the main street prior to their service. Steve Davis and Geoff Lenz from the Ulmarra RSL branch helped their community acknowledge their World War I servicemen and organised the restoration of their local cenotaph. In Wooli, Bruce Bird and the Wooli Lions Club also refurbished the local cenotaph as part of the centenary commemoration.

The Gallipoli conflict and World War I has become part of the Australian psyche. Coming shortly after Federation, the Gallipoli campaign and more generally World War I have become a defining part of our national identity. This would not have happened without the personal commitment and sacrifice of Australians who volunteered at that time. The toll of the landings at Gallipoli and in the trenches of France and Belgium was huge in comparison to Australia's population at the time. Virtually every community large and small from around the country was touched by loss. It is a very important part of our history.

Anzac Day was appropriately commemorated through the hard work and great efforts of our local ex-service community. I commend them for their commitment—not only for their service at the time in our armed services, but also in their later service in ensuring that the deeds of their comrades and the memories of their comrades remain to this day and ensuring that the commemoration of Anzacs continue in the hearts and minds of the young people who will be the adults of the future.

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