Anzac Day
Last week, St Peters community, like so many other communities around the nation paused to honour our defence forces, past and present, and remember those who had paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
Students, teachers and guests gathered on the Concourse and slipped into the familiar rhythms of an Anzac Service— the laying of wreaths, prayers, music, the haunting notes of The Last Post, and The Ode of Remembrance.
One of the most striking moments of the ceremony was the singing of the ANZAC version of I Am Australian by our newly formed Men’s Vocal Ensemble. The tall, strong, young men singing of the bloody fields [where] so many young men fell, are the same age as those who endured the Gallipoli campaign and the nightmare of the Western Front. Those young farmers and miners, clerks and carpenters undoubtedly faced the future with the same zest for life and fearless optimism that mark our young men before being swallowed by the savagery and inhumanity of war.
But from struggle and conflict, character is born and the servicemen and women who fought and died at Gallipoli, in Flanders Field and on the Kokoda Track have bequeathed to us an enduring legacy. It was their determination, bravery and sacrifice that forged our national character. Through their actions, they showed each of us what it means to be Australian. Flight Lieutenant Danny Bretherton encapsulated the Australian spirit in his address at our Anzac Day Service in three words—purpose, responsibility and compassion. It is our shared responsibility to ensure that these values continue to mark all of us who call this country ‘home’. To do otherwise is to diminish the courage and honour of those who have served.
Lest we forget.
Sue Grotherr
Head of Secondary School
