Anzac Day

April 25th is probably Australia’s most important national occasion. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. We remember Australians who served and died in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations. The spirit of Anzac with its human qualities of courage, mateship and sacrifice continues to have meaning and relevance for our sense of national identity. Boys marched off to war and didn’t come home. Airmen fell to the earth. The only grave the sailors had was in the sea. They belonged to families, communities and workplaces. The lists of names on memorials bear witness to that. The battles didn’t end when the guns stopped firing. Veterans and families continued to pay the price of war. We acknowledge what the war did to our soldiers, sailors, airmen and nurses, but don’t forget what it did to those who knew and loved them. Men and women were told their country needed them. They offered their very existence. We acknowledge the selflessness of all those who have been prepared to lay down their lives for Australia, so we can be free. On Anzac Day we thank and recognise those who served in all wars and peacekeeping areas. Anzac Day is not a date, but rather a spirit. It is a time to reflect on the qualities of Australians — courage, discipline, self-sacrifice, self-reliance, resourcefulness and friendship. As the numbers of ex- servicemen grow smaller, the spirit of Anzac will remain in our lives as a reflection of the heart of our nation. The Anzac spirit exists in each of us, so let us be guided by that spirit in facing the national and personal challenges ahead.

They shall grow not old,

as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them,

nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun

and in the morning

We will remember them.