Frank MacDonald Memorial Prize

Luke Bell New Town High School

“We will remember them’. How and Why have Tasmanians commemorated the ANZAC experience?

Every ANZAC day thousands of Tasmanians gather at RSLs and Cenotaphs to commemorate ‘them’; ‘them’ being the brave men and woman who have fought in conflicts for Australia. We take one minute to bow our heads in silence and visualize the hardships of the brave young men and women and what they went through to serve their country. Courageous acts went unrewarded but the priority was to protect your mates. This mateship is what makes the ANZAC spirit. The outbreak of The Great War in Australia in 1914 was greeted by public enthusiasm. So many young men volunteered to fight for their country that strict physical guidelines were put into place. This meant that only the fittest were sent to war. 60,000 Australians died in WW1 and 156,000 were seriously wounded, gassed or taken prisoner.1 As a nation we lost more than men, we lost future athletes, doctors, tradesmen and leaders. Those with so much potential went off so they could see the world and expand their horizons, many never returning to tell their tale. For many years I thought ANZAC day was the day when you eat biscuits. I wasn’t aware of why we had this day or its significance. It wasn’t until I was in grade three when my teacher read us a big book about Gallipoli. The name of the book wasn’t important. It was the illustrations which amazed me. Young men risking their lives to get ashore to climb the steep cliffs while being shot at by Turkish machine gunners. Once ashore they were then forced to live in muddy conditions and were faced with diseases. I learnt about the heroism of John Simpson Kirkpatrick and his donkeys; how he risked his life to save the life of others.

1 hhtp://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/enlistment/ww1.htm

That one book changed the way I thought that ANZAC day. I played with my army men differently from then. I started to realize the significance of ANZAC day. I asked my Dad if he would take me to a service so I could learn more about ANZAC day. Dad pointed out Alec Campbell and told me how he was one of those young men who fought in Gallipoli. Ever since, I have been fascinated by the story of the ANZACs through reading books such as Anthony Hill’s “Soldier Boy”. Through the power of books the ANZAC experience will live on. One of the biggest reasons why so many people gather on ANZAC day is to remember or pay respect to relatives who have fought in conflicts for Australia. 15,485 Tasmanians enlisted in WW1, 22, 420 Tasmanians enlisted in WW2, 2300 Tasmanians were sent to Vietnam and hundreds more have served and are serving in East Timor, Iraq, Solomon Islands and the war against terror in Afghanistan. In total around 42,000 Tasmanians have fought in conflicts. We remember them because we are them. We are the descendants of the men and woman who have served Australia. Through their actions, we became free and eternally grateful. More than 89,000 Australians have died in or as a result of war. Many more have been wounded, gassed or captured by the enemy as a result of war. Those who returned were faced with epidemics of flu and economic depressions. Major psychiatric problems have also been a common occurrence after wars. We remember them because we can still see the evidence of war in our society today. We see ageing veterans and widows who have been seriously traumatized by the events of the past.

The names engraved on the Hobart cenotaph especially The Soldiers Walk are visual reminders of the large loss of life especially in Tasmania. Recently I visited The Soldiers Walk on the Queens Domain in Hobart. Five hundred and twenty trees were planted there in 1918-1919 to commemorate the losses of the soldiers in WW1. After the 2002 restoration the walk is looking a lot better. Each tree has a plaque which tells the story of a soldier from his occupation before war to his death. Many of them were boys who had just finished school. There was one plaque which interested me in particular. It was the plaque of Lt William Keith Eltham which stood out. He was killed in action while fighting near Fleurs 1916. He was a superb athlete, representing the state in cricket in domestic and international games. He was also a rower and a fine cartoonist. He was but one of the lost athletes and the future leaders. We remember also for what they could have been; what life they sacrificed. Tasmanian Anzac day services are particularly special. ANZAC day services across Tasmania have been growing in numbers in the past few years. A crowd of 5000 which is thought to be the largest ever turned out to see the 2007 dawn service at Hobart’s cenotaph. The march in Hobart was an equal success with a large crowd lining the streets to pay their respects to the men and woman who have served or are serving in the Australian Defense Force or The Red Cross. The Hobart march, like all the other marches, are a chance for Tasmanians to pay their respects and commemorate the ANZAC experience.

My most memorable ANZAC memory was the 2004 Lenah Valley morning service. It was a cold morning and a thick fog covered the area. The march started with the sound of a lone bag-pipe player. As the piercing sound of the bag-pipe approached the returned servicemen and their families emerged from the fog. At that moment it felt like time stopped. The sun broke through the fog and took me to a place far away. That was an experience which for me reflected on the bravery and courage of the men and woman who have served Australia. I believe this kind of experience is what makes ANZAC day so important. Through their courageous actions and there willingness to do what they believed was right formed the legend of the ANZAC. May the spirit last forever.

Bibliography: I used the following sources to complete this essay:

www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/enlistment/ww1.htm: To find out

statistics using the encyclopedia.

http://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/ww1.htm: To find out attitudes of the

time.

Anthony Hill’s ‘Soldier Boy’: To get some background information.

Plaque 185 Lt William Keith Eltham soldiers walk Queens Domain: To

understand what the people of the time were like.

http://www.naa.gov.au/THE_Collection/family_history/armed_services

.html: To find more statistics.

http://www.premier.tas.gov.au/speeches/cenotaph.html: To find out

Tasmanian statistics.