ANZAC Day is our national day of solemn remembrance. It is a day when we remember with gratitude and respect those who have lost their lives or suffered injury in wars. It is a day when we say thank you to all who have served in the defence of Australia and our allies.
But it is also a day of celebration. Celebration of what it is to be Australian. A celebration of the benefits we enjoy for which men and women have been prepared to fight to defend, even to sacrifice their lives. But why choose the anniversary of a battle to celebrate Australia? We are not a militaristic people. This is not a festival of military triumphalism.
To appreciate the significance one need look no further than the symbols and icons of ANZAC. Nearly every country town has its digger memorial. As the Australian historian Ken Inglis has noted, the digger is a figure of humility and understatement. In most cases he is cast in the position of "resting on arms reversed" as though contemplating the loss of mates. He is neither an heroic nor rampant figure. Indeed the most idealised individual figure from ANZAC is a simple army medic with a donkey. How very Australian – we celebrate a private, not a General. A healer, not a warrior.
Many thousands of Australians will descend on ANZAC Cove. Many will be young backpackers. They will be there to pay respect but also to better understand what it means to be Australian.
ANZAC represents the noblest elements of our national character. The values of mateship, of sacrifice, of having a go when the odds are daunting. These are the characteristics we proudly define as Australian. This is the legacy that the ANZACS left behind. That is why ANZAC Day has not only endured but flourished as each generation of Australians finds contemporary application for the enduring values it represents.
But a free and secure Australia has resulted not just from the ANZACS but from successive generations of young Australians who have been prepared to leave behind safety and comfort to defend our freedom and to preserve peace.
They have been worthy heirs to the men who landed in Gallipoli on this day in 1915. And it’s timely to also remember today those young Australians currently fighting in combat zones around the world. Therefore when we spend a moment’s silence today thinking of those who died we should also spare a moment to think of those who are still serving.
And although we are not in the Defence forces, we should remember that we also have a responsibility to contribute to a fair and just society – and thus contribute to the spirit of ANZAC. That is the best way in which we can pay our respect to those who gave their lives.