On 7 September 1915, South Australian mothers gathered in the South Park Lands of Adelaide to mourn the loss of their sons at Gallipoli.
The Australian Soldiers Dardanelles Cenotaph was Australia’s first memorial to the Gallipoli campaign. Restored in 1969 after years of neglect, it stands as the only Anzac memorial that has borne witness to 100 years of sorrow.
Military historian Bill Gammage once said “Anzac Day is Australia’s only public day begun in sorrow, its only secular day shared with another country, New Zealand, and its only national day arising from individual hearts and minds across the nation.”
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Martin Hamilton-Smith has been travelling to Anzac Day Centenary commemorations being held around the state.
“Last week I attended events in Kadina and Gawler where hundreds of South Australians gathered to commemorate our Anzacs. Their gatherings are indicative of what can be expected tomorrow as South Australian’s around the state congregate at their local War Memorial and honour the service and sacrifice of those whose names are recorded there, Mr Hamilton-Smith said.
“One hundred years ago this Saturday marks the day that South Australia’s 10th Battalion disembarked from rowing boats at what became known as Anzac Cove. The Dardanelles Campaign was not Australia’s bloodiest campaign of the First World War but it was our first and would see more loss of life than our young nation had ever previously known.
“As the news of these losses came to light the impact at home was profound. It changed our identity as Australians forever. The acts of gallantry undertaken by our Anzacs became legendary and defined us as a nation. Australian war correspondent Charles Bean, founder of the Australian War Memorial played a significant part in establishing the Anzac Legend through his immersion with the troops at Gallipoli, where he recorded in great detail what they endured.
“The impact of World War I on Australia is almost impossible to fathom in current times. From a total population of less than 5 million, we raised an Army of more than 400,000. Of these some 330,000 were deployed overseas. By war’s end more than 60,000 had been killed, 5,565 were South Australians, or put differently, nearly one in five deployed. 38 Australian servicemen died every day of the 1,560 days of the War.
“This week the development phase of the Anzac Centenary Memorial Garden Walk was announced. The walk will connect the National War Memorial on North Terrace (symbolising remembrance) with the Torrens Parade Ground (symbolising service) and pass Government House symbolising loyalty. The project, which was first proposed by the Veterans Advisory Council of South Australia, will stand as a lasting tribute to the Anzac tradition establishing a refreshed, unified memorial precinct to be a feature of Adelaide’s city centre.
The traditional Anzac Day Dawn Service will take place at the National War Memorial from 6.00am as it has done since the War Memorial was completed in 1931. There is expected to be more than 10,000 people in attendance. It will be one of more than 150 commemorative ceremonies held across the State.
As we commemorate Anzac Day by attending a Dawn Service or the Anzac Day Commemorative March, our thoughts also turn to those men and women who are currently deployed in Iraq on Operation OKRA, in Afghanistan on Operation HIGHROAD, and in the Gulf on Operation MANITOU, as well as in other operational theatres across the globe.
On Anzac Day we honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice. We remember their families and communities, changed forever. We reflect on all in our community who endure the physical and psychological impact of war, and we take this moment to thank Australia’s servicemen and women for their service and sacrifice in all wars, conflicts and peace operations to ensure the preservation of the way of life we enjoy today.
I encourage you to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the ANZAC landings at Gallipoli.
For a list of Dawn Services visit www.rslsa.org.au
Fore further information on the Anzac Centenary visit www.anzaccentenary.sa.gov.au
Lest we forget.