100 Years
Whilst every Australian may hold a different religion or come from a different background, I dare say that ANZAC day is one of the few days that every Australian acknowledges. It being 100 years on from the landing at Gallipoli I, like thousands of others, attended my local dawn service this morning and then had a family bbq breakfast and even indulged in a game of two-up with my dad, brothers, aunties, uncles and cousins.
It made me thankful for the country I live in and the freedoms we have. Every year my family place a small bouquet of flowers at the war memorial in our town and we are told to all remember someone. As I am 18, the same age as many of the young men and women who left Australia to serve in the war effort, be it fighting or nursing, and I do not know very much about my family lineage and as far as I am aware have no immediate relatives who fought in a war, I decided that I would remember the people, especially the young, who don't have anyone around to remember them.
After returning home my 10 year old brother made it clear to the family that when he grows up and is old enough to join, then he wishes to join the army. He has read and heard of all the horror stories of every war but still seems adamant on the idea, and whilst Ill admit it scares me, I have to be proud of him for feeling so strongly about something. I never told anyone this but I was going to join the Navy, and still might one day, but for now I'll worry about him.
I feel like this poem sums up not only the coming together of Australian soldiers during all the world wars but also sums up the Australian spirit when it comes to gathering and remembering those soldiers who fought for our freedom.
"Australia takes her pen in hand,
To write a line to you,
To let you fellows understand,
How proud we are of you.
From shearing shed and cattle run,
From Broome to Hobsons Bay,
Each native-born Australian son,
Stands straighter up today.
The man who used to "hump his drum",
On far-out Queensland runs,
Is fighting side by side with some
Tasmanian farmer's sons.
The fisher-boys dropped sail and oar
To grimly stand the test,
Along that storm-swept Turkish shore,
With miners from the west.
The old state jealousies of yore
Are dead as Pharaoh's sow,
We're not State children any more
We're all Australians now!
Our six-starred flag that used to fly,
Half-shyly to the breeze,
Unknown where older nations ply
Their trade on foreign seas,
Flies out to meet the morning blue
With Vict'ry at the prow;
For that's the flag the Sydney flew,
The wide seas know it now!
The mettle that a race can show
Is proved with shot and steel,
And now we know what nations know
And feel what nations feel.
The honoured graves beneath the crest
Of Gaba Tepe hill,
May hold our bravest and our best,
But we have brave men still.
With all our petty quarrels done,
Dissensions overthrown,
We have, through what you boys have done,
A history of our own.
Our old world diff'rences are dead,
Like weeds beneath the plough,
For English, Scotch, and Irish-bred,
They're all Australians now!
So now we'll toast the Third Brigade,
That led Australia's van,
For never shall their glory fade
In minds Australian.
Fight on, fight on, unflinchingly,
Till right and justice reign.
Fight on, fight on, till Victory
Shall send you home again.
And with Australia's flag shall fly
A spray of wattle bough,
To symbolise our unity,
We're all Australians now."
A.B. (Banjo) Patterson.
Much like I am proud of my brother, I am thankful to all those who have fought and will continue to fight towards the safety, freedom and protection of the country I call home.
To all ANZAC's past, present and future...
Thank you. You will never be forgotten.
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