92 years ago on April 25, 1915, as dawn began to break, the
first sons of Australia and New Zealand approached the shores of
Gallipoli – little did they know what lay ahead.
Over 8 impossible months, they forged a legend of bravery and
mateship that would be passed on through generations of fellow
Australians. In the hills, ridges and gullies, the ANZACs fought,
they died, they dug in and they hung on bravely.
At Gallipoli, they won a compelling place in Australia’s
history.
Today we remember the 50,000 Australians who served there and
the more then 26,000 who died or were wounded. We remember too the
sons of NZ, Britain, France, India and Newfoundland and of course
Turkey who also died and suffered – up to 500,000 of them.
Gallipoli began our involvement in the Great War – nearly
2/3rds of the 330,000 Australians would become casualties, 60,000
would never see our shores again.
Those who fought at Gallipoli changed forever the way we view
our world and ourselves- they bequeathed Australia a lasting sense
of national identity.
History helps us remember but the spirit of ANZAC is greater
than a debt to past deeds. It lives on through our nation’s easy
familiarity, through Australians looking out for each other,
through our courage and compassion in the face of adversity,
And so we dedicate ourselves, at this hour, at this place, not
just to the memory of ANZAC but to its eternal place in the
Australian soul.
