Henry Pike (Bowman, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Eighty years ago the victory in the Pacific was a defining moment for our nation. On Saturday 16 August, I was honoured to join more than 300 Redland locals to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory at Birkdale State School. The reflections on VP Day paid tribute to local stories from Capalaba, Birkdale, Thorneside and Wellington Point—stories of courage, resilience and community spirit during a time of global conflict and challenge.

This special event acknowledged unique moments in our community's history while the war in the Pacific raged on, until lasting peace was finally declared. One of those moments took place in Birkdale, in an unassuming building built in 1943. Used as a US Army radio receiving station, it formed part of a vital network relaying messages between General MacArthur's headquarters in Brisbane and the Allied forces across the Pacific. It was in that very station, in my electorate of Bowman, that Australia first received the historic message that the Japanese government had accepted the Allied terms of surrender; the war was over.

The Victory in the Pacific event held to commemorate this milestone of the war ending not only acknowledged the Redlands community's vital role but also stopped to commemorate the sacrifice made by all Australians during this time of our nation's history. I want to thank the Capalaba and Wellington Point Rotary clubs, who hosted the event; the Birkdale State School; Redlands RSL; Birkdale Scouts; Redlands City Band; Redlands Coast Museum; Redland Genealogical Society; Col Sutcliffe; and Councillor Paul Bishop.

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