Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) 15 August 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Pacific Day (VP Day);

(b) VP Day marks the end of the Second World War in the Pacific, following Japan's surrender on August 15, 1945;

(c) victory in the Pacific marked the end of the biggest ever threat to Australian soil at the time;

(d) the formal surrender took place on 2 September 1945 aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay;

(e) Australian forces were engaged in campaigns across the Pacific, in New Guinea, Bougainville, New Britain, Borneo, and in the Philippines, and Australian prisoners of the Japanese were spread throughout Asia; and

(f) over 200,000 Australian servicemen and women were involved in the war against Japan, and over 17,000 died; and

(2) acknowledges our:

(a) gratitude to those who served, and their families, for the sacrifices they made which secured the freedoms we enjoy today; and

(b) bipartisan ongoing commitment to remember their service and sacrifice.

It is an honour to move this motion in recognition of what I believe to be the greatest generation of Australians. The reason they are the greatest generation of Australians is they overcame incredible adversity and demonstrated the resilience that was needed to both survive and then to prosper. Keep in mind, this generation of Australians was born in the aftermath of World War I. They grew up in the Depression. They fought for our freedom in World War II. They lost many of their mates and then, after surviving that conflict, they went on to build the nation that we enjoy today.

Eighty years ago, on 15 August 1945, Japan's surrender marked the official end of World War II in the Pacific. For Australia, this meant the end of the direct threat to our shores and the conclusion of a conflict that profoundly shaped our nation. Victory in the Pacific Day is not just a celebration of a victory but a solemn remembrance of sacrifice, service and resilience.

We are so fortunate that some of the veterans from World War II still walk amongst us today. Undoubtedly, their ranks are thinning as each of them approaches or goes beyond their 100th birthday, but we are still honoured to have them with us today. Today, we remember them all, and we extend our gratitude to them and to the families that supported them in their service.

From the start of World War II, in 1939, over one million Australians served across the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the merchant navy. By early 1942 Australia was no longer a distant observer of the war. The danger was at our doorstep. The fall of Singapore and the bombing of Darwin and the Japanese submarines in Sydney Harbour all meant that our country was now at the forefront of the war.

On that note, Australian schoolchildren should learn more about the bombing of Darwin. It was the first time the Australian mainland had been attacked by a foreign power, and the attackers were led by the same commander who led the Pearl Harbor assault just 10 weeks earlier. The first two Japanese air raids were the largest, but a sustained campaign followed, and there were more than a hundred attacks on Darwin during 1942 and 1943. As someone who studied Australian history at high school, I found out more in one visit to Darwin than I found out in my whole six years of studying history in my school.

The war in the Pacific was very much at our doorstep. There were even maritime losses off the coast of East Gippsland in World War II. In response to those attacks, our country mobilised with determination and speed, and Australian forces were redeployed from the Middle East and North Africa to defend our near region. Australia's strategic position meant our forces fought in key theatres of the war—Malaya, Singapore, Papua New Guinea, Borneo and the Pacific islands. Of course, the Battle of Kokoda became a symbol of Australian determination and endurance. At Milne Bay, Australian troops were the first to decisively defeat Japanese forces on land. In Borneo, New Guinea, Bougainville and beyond, Australians fought in long and costly campaigns to drive the enemy back.

The Navy played a role crucial role escorting convoys, landing troops and fighting in key battles, including the Battle of the Coral Sea, a turning point of the Pacific theatre. The Royal Australian Air Force flew countless missions, providing vital air support across the region. Many of our airmen also served with distinction in bomber command over Europe, highlighting the global nature of their contribution. It is sad to consider that almost 40,000 Australians died in World War II, and around 17,000 of those were in the Pacific. Thousands more were wounded and carried those injuries with them for the rest of their lives. Around 30,000 became prisoners of war, many in the most horrific conditions, including on the Thai-Burma Railway. Australia's involvement in the Pacific war helped forge a sense of national identity, one defined by courage, by mateship and by endurance. There is no question that this war reshaped Australia's international outlook, contributing to stronger ties with the United States and evolving the relationship with the Asia-Pacific region.

Japan's surrender on 15 August 1945 was met with celebration across Australia but also with solemn remembrance, remembering those who had fallen. The legacy of those who served is not only in the victories they achieved but in the peace they secured and the freedoms that endure today. Their story is one of endurance, mateship, loyalty and courage under fire—values that continue to shape our national identity.

As we mark this 80th anniversary, we remember not just a military victory but a national commitment that spanned across oceans and across generations. Let us continue to honour to fallen, support the living and ensure their stories are passed on for future generations to understand that the freedoms we enjoy came at a very heavy price.

See this speech in context