Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

PRICE (—) (): On Friday of last week I was honoured to speak at and to be a part of the commemorations for the 81st anniversary of the Broome air raids, held at Bedford Park in Broome. On 3 March 1942, Broome was forever changed. The town was rocked by the second-worst air raid in Australia's history, with Japanese bombers destroying much of the town and leaving a trail of destruction and devastation in their wake. The loss of life was substantial, with reports of up to 88 lives lost—unimaginable for such a small town. One witness from that fateful day was quoted as saying:

They left a trail of smoke behind them and set fire to everything they hit. In a few minutes the whole harbour was covered by a pall of thick, black smoke, through which it was impossible to observe what was going on.

During the service—which was made even more poignant because we were unable to gather last year for the 80th anniversary, due to Tropical Cyclone Anika and COVID restrictions—I was reminded of the bravery and the sacrifices that were made during those dark days in World War II. I was certainly reminded of the hardships faced back then, and our history shows that the people of Broome were and always have been tough, resilient and determined.

For those lucky enough to have visited our magical town of Broome, you may already know that it is much more than just those beautiful pearls and the beautiful beach, with Cable Beach having been crowned the third-best beach in the world. And of course there are those famous sunsets and also those camels. I know that Madam Deputy Speaker is very familiar with those! Broome is a place that is rich in history and culture, a place where the community is made up of people from all walks of life, people who have always been strong and resourceful and who are proud to call Broome home. It is a town which proudly displays and celebrates its cultural background and diversity, and rightly so. On that hot Broome morning last Friday, it felt like we stood together not just as a community but as a family. We mourn together, but we also move forward together.

We must also forgive and learn from the lessons of the past. These lessons have never been more important to heed, given the current uncertain geopolitical environment that we live in. I commend all those who were involved, including the Shire of Broome, Broome RSL sub-branch, the St Mary's College drama and dance students, the Broome Primary School choir, Vanessa Mills from ABC Kimberley and our fabulous ADF representatives, for what was a very moving and thought-provoking service. It was wonderful to be joined by so many community members and by our friends and partners from Japan, the UK and the Netherlands. May we never forget the sacrifices made by our servicemen and our citizens, men, women and children alike, on that day in Broome on 3 March 1942. Lest we forget.