The Ode
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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.
What is Anzac Day?
ANZAC Day – 25 April – 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.
What does ANZAC stand for?
ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The soldiers in those forces quickly became known as Anzacs, and the pride they took in that name endures to this day.
Why is this day special to Australians?
When war broke out in 1914, Australia had been a federal commonwealth for only 13 years. The new national government was eager to establish its reputation among the nations of the world. In 1915 Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula in order to open the Dardanelles to the allied navies. The ultimate objective was to capture Constantinople (now Istanbul in Turkey), the capital of the Ottoman Empire, an ally of Germany.
The Australian and New Zealand forces landed on Gallipoli on 25 April, meeting fierce resistance from the Ottoman Turkish defenders. What had been planned as a bold stroke to knock Turkey out of the war quickly became a stalemate, and the campaign dragged on for eight months. At the end of 1915 the allied forces were evacuated, after both sides had suffered heavy casualties and endured great hardships. Over 8,000 Australian soldiers had been killed. News of the landing on Gallipoli had made a profound impact on Australians at home, and 25 April soon became the day on which Australians remembered the sacrifice of those who had died in the war.
Although the Gallipoli campaign failed in its military objectives, the Australian and New Zealand actions during the campaign left us all a powerful legacy. The creation of what became known as the “Anzac legend” became an important part of the identity of both nations, shaping the ways they viewed both their past and their future.
Early commemorations
The 25th of April was officially named Anzac Day in 1916. It was marked by a wide variety of ceremonies and services in Australia, a march through London, and a sports day in the Australian camp in Egypt. In London over 2,000 Australian and New Zealand troops marched through the streets. A London newspaper headline dubbed them “the knights of Gallipoli”. Marches were held all over Australia; in the Sydney march, convoys of cars carried wounded soldiers from Gallipoli attended by nurses. For the remaining years of the war, Anzac Day was used as an occasion for patriotic rallies and recruiting campaigns, and parades of serving members of the AIF were held in most cities.
During the 1920s Anzac Day became established as a national day of commemoration for the 60,000 Australians who had died during the war. In 1927, for the first time every state observed some form of public holiday on Anzac Day. By the mid-1930s, all the rituals we now associate with the day – dawn vigils, marches, memorial services, reunions, two-up games – were firmly established as part of Anzac Day culture.
With the coming of the Second World War, Anzac Day also served to commemorate the lives of Australians who died in that war. In subsequent years the meaning of the day has been further broadened to include Australians killed in all the military operations in which Australia has been involved.
Anzac Day was first commemorated at the Memorial in 1942. There were government orders prohibiting large public gatherings in case of a Japanese air attack, so it was a small occasion, with neither a march nor a memorial service. Since then, Anzac Day has been commemorated at the Memorial every year.
What does it mean today?
Australians recognise April 25 as an occasion of national remembrance, which takes two forms. Commemorative services are held at dawn – the time of the original landing – across the nation. Later in the day, ex-servicemen and women meet to take part in marches through the major cities and in many smaller centres. Commemorative ceremonies are more formal and are held at war memorials around the country. In these ways, Anzac Day is a time when Australians reflect on the many different meanings of war.
ANZAC day services around the shire
April 25, 2014
Bigga
10.30am March
11.00am Commemorative Service, followed by lunch
Boorowa
6.00am Dawn Service, War Memorial
10.45am ANZAC March form-up, Post Office
11.00am Commemorative Service, War Memorial
Crookwell
5.45am form-up to March at 6.00am from the Services Club for Dawn Service, Cenotaph at the Memorial Park followed by breakfast at the Top Hotel
10.30am ANZAC March form-up at the Services Club to March at 11.00am to the Cenotaph. Lunch will be available at the Club afterwards.
Gunning
5.45am Dawn Service, Cenotaph followed by breakfast provided by the Gunning Lions at the Foley Centre.
10.40am ANZAC March form-up Shell Service Station
11.00am Commemorative Service, Cenotaph.
Rugby
6.30am Dawn Service, Memorial Gates followed by breakfast Rugby Memorial Hall.
Tuena
11.00am Commemorative Service, Cenotaph.
Please consider sharing in the spirit of Anzac day and attend one of the services around the area either in the morning or tomorrow.
LEST WE FORGET
Don't want to lose that stirring sound
Of bagpipes, drums sublime
And brass bands proudly sounding forth
As marchers step in time.
Don't want to lose, or to forget
As jaunty tunes beat out
And catch the heart so unawares
Composure much in doubt.
Don't want to lose that regal sight
Two ensigns side by side
As Union Jack and Southern Cross
Unite in strength and pride.
Don't want to lose that lonely sound
That causes eyes to fill
The early dawnlight bugle call
That holds us all so still.
When cenotaph sees no one move
No flicker, not a blink
In reverence to those women and men
As past and present link.
Don't want to lose that comradeship
Two countries brought to bear
As Anzacs battled side by side
Such grief and pain to share.
Don't want to lose in modern days
With all of us so free
As Aussies, Kiwis now compete
Their friendly rivalry.
Let's not forget just where we are
And hold their memory fast
The sheer supreme cold sacrifice
A shadow from the past.
So keep those pipes and drums and brass
Don't take those flags away
Keep stirring hearts and minds and souls
On every Anzac Day.
Elizabeth Ann Jones
25 April, 1999
© Copyright
ALBERT SPEER MBE
23.3.1922 – 16.4.2014
ALBERT SPEER was born on March 23, 1922 in Goulburn, New South Wales.
His parents were Isaac Percy Speer and Ester Jane Chalker.
Albert grew up on their property “Hillview Park” at Woodhouselee with his older siblings and went to the local Woodhouselee School.
Albert enlisted in the 2nd AIF on August 17, 1942 and joined the 2/2nd Australian Field ambulance and served in New Guinea from 1942 until 1945. After the War he returned to New Guinea where he joined the Public Service of Papua New Guinea as a Medical Assistant in October 1947 with early postings to Kerema in1947, Madang in1950, and Saiho/Polondetta in1951.
Both Albert’s brothers had gone to war and any chance to see active service seemed far away for him. Then suddenly the Japanese decided to enter the war. Prior to this event a military call‑up was embarked upon and so he hid the call‑up notification for military service which had been posted to him from his parents. He filled out the forms and then received notification to attend for attestation and medical examination, and so, had to inform his father and mother. His father was justifiably incensed and refused to sign the paper permitting him to enrol, but finally he persuaded his mother to intercede, and so very reluctantly his father signed and he was able to join the CMF for Home Service on November 5, I94I.
He then joined the I8th Field Ambulance, and then enlisted in the Second AIF on August I7, I942 and joined the 2/2 Australian Field Ambulance, 17th Brigade, 6th Australian Division until the cessation of hostilities. He was to then serve at Wewak with the 2/15th Australian Field Ambulance until he returned to Australia on board the SS 'Ormiston' departing Wewak on January 24, I945. He was transferred to the 2/II Australian General Hospital as Ration Sergeant until his discharge on May 28, I946.
It was during his posting here that he led the medical team in the evacuation of victims of the eruption of Mt Lamington Volcano. Sunday morning of January 21, 1951 was the greatest natural disaster to have occurred on the Australian-administered Territory of Papua New Guinea. Mt Lamington volcano erupted killing more than 3,500 Orokaivan people in 29 villages and 35 Europeans who were stationed at Martyrs' Memorial School, Sangara Anglican Mission Station and Higaturu Government Station. The Orokaivans included policemen and medical orderlies who worked at Higaturu Station and prisoners who were serving their sentences at Higaturu Prison. Rescue parties which arrived on the scene were hampered by suffocating pumice dust and sulphurous fumes, and hot ashes on the ground. The advance post of relief workers at Popondetta was threatened with destruction by other eruptions during the several days following. Further tremors and explosions occurred during February. As late as the 5th March a major eruption occurred which threw large pieces of the volcanic dome as far as three kilometres and caused a flow of pumice and rocks for a distance of 14 km, the whole being so hot as to set fire to every tree in its path.
(Ref: The Mt Lamington tragedy remembered. By Maclaren Hiani, Sunday Chronical Papua New Guinea, Sat Jan 23, 2010).
Albert’s other duties included placements to: Tari in 1954, Koroba from 1955 to1957. While based at Koroba he took expeditions into the harsh interior of the Southern Highlands. He also took over the administrative management of the Koroba Hospital and was the Medical Assistant in charge of the Malahang Native Hospital at Lae from 1957 until1959.
From 1959 to 1967 he worked as the Regional Administrative Officer at Rabaul and later at Goroka, New Guinea Highlands Region. In 1967 he was involved in special projects work investigating the ‘methods study’ into the Malaria Branch of the Department of Public Health. In 1969 he was appointed Executive Officer of the Malaria Branch. From 1970 to 1971 he was involved in another special project for the Director of Public Health on the review of Aid Posts. Altogether he served in the Department of Public Health in the Australian Administration of Papua and New Guinea from 1947 until his retirement in 1971. He was a pioneer in the establishment of health services in Papua New Guinea. He was rewarded for his services in Papua New Guinea when he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1979.
Although Albert had never married he adopted four children. Sir Albert Maori Kiki, former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs in Papua New Guinea. Phillip Bogembo and Teio Ila and Mauricio Biscocho from the Philippines.
He returned to Australia and lived on his property known as “Top End” at Woodhouselee. He had many hobbies but researching history of the local areas was his passion. He became involved with Crookwell and District Historical Society (of which he is a Life Member) and Goulburn Family History and Historical Society. He did extensive research with regard to local history and families who lived in the district, and has donated all his research papers to the local Historical Societies and the National Library at Canberra. Albert has also written books and articles on Woodhouselee, Tuena and Peelwood regions, and researched publicans’ licences of the goldfields area of Tuena.
Albert also had a passion for preserving War history and documenting the stories of local war heroes. In particular the story of Private William Joseph Punch, an Aboriginal boy adopted by the Siggs family from Woodhouselee who enlisted in 1915 and served in France and later died in 1917 at Bournemouth Hospital UK. Albert was a historian and campaigner for the finding of the nominal roll of those who died on the ship the “Montevideo Maru”.
A total of 1053 Australian soldiers and civilians disappeared without a trace when the Japanese transport ship was torpedoed by an American submarine off the Philippines coast in 1942.
He was awarded inaugural life membership of the The Montevideo Maru Memorial Committee.
In his later life Albert moved from his beloved Woodhouselee to live in Sydney with his son Mauricio Biscocho.
Albert was one of nature’s gentlemen and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
Written by Monica Croke JP with the approval of Albert’s son, Mauricio Biscocho.