Craig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I take this opportunity to give a special thank you to the director of the Australian War Memorial, Dr Brendan Nelson, for giving me the truly great privilege of participating in the cleaning of the tomb of the unknown soldier at the Australian War Memorial on Thursday, 11 May. I heard Dr Nelson's offer recently on Sky News that any MP or senator could participate and his complaint that he had made this offer before—which I had not heard—and that very few of us had taken it up, so I contacted him the next day and made the arrangements.

We all know that the tomb of the unknown soldier contains the body of an unidentified Australian solder killed in World War I that was recovered from the cemetery near Villers-Bretonneux in France and was transported home and interred in the Hall of Memory within the War Memorial at Canberra. He was buried in a Tasmanian blackwood coffin on which were placed a bayonet and a sprig of wattle. Soil from Pozieres battlefield in France was scattered on the tomb.

Cleaning it requires one to get down on one's hands and knees, firstly, to remove all the red poppies that were left the day before and, then, to polish the red marble slab. Then one is required to dust the engraved gold leaf lettering, which says: 'An unknown Australian soldier killed in the war of 1914-1918'. To undertake such as task on a cold Canberra morning inside the Hall of Memory with the rising sun shining through the stained glass panels was a very, very special and moving experience which I will always treasure. I would encourage all my parliamentary colleagues on both sides to take up this offer from Brendan Nelson and have the experience that I had.

At this time, I also want to comment on the opening of the new Boer War Memorial on Anzac Parade, which will take place on Wednesday, 31 May, in a ceremony over which the Governor-General will preside. These sculptures, of which I was able to get a sneak preview the other day, are of four Australian horseman on patrol. These sculptures are by the Melbourne sculptor Louis Laumen and are of the highest quality. We should give the sculptor, Mr Laumen, the most number of stars that he can get for his brilliant work. I encourage everyone to go and have a look at the memorial. I encourage all the constituents from my electorate: next time you visit Canberra, ensure you put the Boer War Memorial on your list of things to see.