Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to commemorate and pay tribute to those Australian veterans, both those who are alive and those who have passed away, who have sacrificed their lives and given of themselves for us and on our behalf. In particular, I would like to refer to Tasmania’s Victoria Cross recipients and make special tribute to Harry Murray VC, who is the most highly decorated soldier in the Commonwealth of Australia. He comes from Evandale, and I will say more about him shortly. Before doing so, I want to commend the Examiner newspaper for an outstanding feature in today’s edition in which they cover the importance of this very special day. In that feature is a reference to Scottsdale RSL President Bruce Scott and the new carvings of Simpson and his donkey at Scottsdale. I had the privilege of being there with the Hon. John Cobb on 31 October. We had a tour and an inspection of this wonderful new commemoration which will be unveiled shortly.

The carvings were prepared and sculpted by woodcarver Eddie Freeman, from Ross. He is quite an exceptional man with exceptional skills. He has previously carved a number of figures at Scottsdale and in other parts of Tasmania, and he should be commended for his work. He wanted to highlight, commend and commemorate the service of our veterans, and he has done that with great skill. I commend Bruce Scott, the President of Scottsdale RSL, on his leadership and his efforts in the north-east of Tasmania. I thank him for what he does and for standing up for veterans and to commemorate their service.

I had the privilege of working with Norman Warburton, President of the RAAF Association in Launceston; Ted O’Brien, Vice-President of the RAAF Association in Launceston; David von Stieglitz, President of the Evandale History Society and President of the Murray Memorial Committee based at Evandale; and Neil Louis, who has done a lot of work and research with respect to the World War II Launceston Flying School Working Group.

The pilots who trained at Launceston Airport during World War II will be recognised as part of the Launceston Airport redevelopment if plans by the Royal Australian Air Force Association, the Evandale History Society and myself go ahead. Just last Wednesday, 5 November, Norman Warburton said:

A total of 1801 pilots trained at Launceston Airport between 1940 and 1945, going on to serve in combat and other roles in World War II.

David von Stieglitz said:

Of those who trained here, more than 700 died in the war. For those who made the ultimate sacrifice I think proper recognition is the least we can do.

Current plans include recognition as part of the Launceston Airport redevelopment and a possible future information centre/museum at Evandale. I want to say a special thanks to the Launceston Airport Corporation for their cooperation and support to date. I look forward to working with them in the weeks and months ahead, as the development comes to fruition. It is certainly an important community project which pays tribute to our veterans. I hope that with the support of the government and the community we can bring these plans to fruition. It is a special delight for me, as my grandfather, who flew a biplane, was in the Australian Flying Corps in the First World War. He trained in Australia and subsequently served in England, and survived.

I would like to quote from the editorial by Dean Southwell in the Examiner. As I said, I commend the newspaper on its efforts. The editorial said:

Hopefully Tasmanians will never again experience the sort of community tragedy that World War I represented. But we should remember it.

Today marks 90 years since the armistice that ended World War I.

It was a conflict that scarred communities around the world.

Honour rolls and a huge variety of memorials that sprang up in every town and district in the State are testament to more than 2700 Tasmanians who died as a result of World War I and the many others who made sacrifices.

That leads into the fact that Tasmania has 13 of Australia’s 96 Victoria Cross recipients. That is a very proud record. It is the highest proportion of any state or territory in Australia. Two years ago, with the support of the RSL, I had the pleasure of preparing a small booklet of some 35 pages titled Our Heroes: Tasmania’s Victoria Cross recipients. The booklet is now in its third print run. It has a foreword by Tony Scott, OAM, JP, who is President of the RSL in Tasmania. He says:

The Victoria Cross is the highest award for acts of bravery in wartime. The interest in the Victoria Cross continues to attract historians, collectors and the general public alike.

The booklet also has a foreword by the Hon. Bruce Billson, former Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence. The booklet was produced in an endeavour to foster the memory of young Tasmanians who gave their lives with special deeds of valour. They acted selflessly in serving their country, leaving behind family and risking or sacrificing their lives for our freedom, so that we could have a better life. As I said before, of the 96 Australians awarded the Victoria Cross, Tasmania has the distinction of being the home state of 13 of them—including the first two Australian-born soldiers to receive the honour: Lieutenant Guy Wylly and Trooper John Bisdee.

I would like to identify Tasmania’s Victoria Cross recipients and also note that a number of memorials have been erected in honour of these wonderful men who gave their service and, in many cases, their lives. In 2004, the former Howard government pledged $72,600 for the Tasmanian RSL to lay plaques and to construct a monument to each of these men. The project has seen the establishment of a series of memorials placed in the home towns of Tasmania’s 13 VC recipients. That has now occurred and it is a great thing and a wonderful tribute to these wonderful men. The locations of the memorials are as follows: Sergeant Percy Statton, Zeehan Primary School; Lieutenant Alfred Gaby, Scottsdale Primary School; Sergeant Stanley McDougall, Dover RSL Sub-branch; Sergeant Lewis McGee, Ross Cenotaph; Sergeant John Dwyer, Alonnah, Bruny Island; Trooper John Bisdee and Lieutenant Guy Wylly, the Hutchins School; Captain Percy Cherry, Huonville Primary School; Sergeant John Whittle, Cygnet Primary School; Corporal Walter Brown, New Norfolk Primary School; Lance Corporal Sidney Gordon and Captain James Newland, Hobart Anglesea Barracks Memorial Garden; and Lieutenant Colonel Harry Murray, Evandale.

I note that a statue of Harry Murray was unveiled in February 2006 by Governor-General Michael Jeffery. We raised around $80,000 for that statue, with the support of the local community and the Commonwealth government. It is a wonderful statue to commemorate his service to Australia, and it was a wonderful and special day. His family were there, the Murray Memorial Committee were there, and it was appreciated by all. Harry Murray VC, the most highly decorated soldier in the Australian Army and the most highly decorated soldier in the Commonwealth for the First World War, was such a fine man. He fought at Gallipoli and then on the Western Front. He was in the 13th Battalion. He was born on 1 December 1880 at Evandale. His special VC was earned on 4 and 5 February 1917 at Gueudecourt, in France. To pay a tribute to him and to the men referred to as Tasmania’s Victoria Cross recipients today is a great honour.