Remembrance Day

Mr Speaker, I rise in support of this important motion made here today to mark Remembrance Day, and I speak with young people at the forefront of my mind. 

On Remembrance Day, we remember all the brave men and women who, many years ago and still today, have stood up to protect our country and the people we love. These are soldiers, sailors, aviators, nurses, and other helpers who worked hard and, sometimes, gave their lives to keep us safe and free. 

Some people, maybe some younger people, might wonder why we wear red poppies. Well, after the First World War over 100 years ago, red poppies started to grow on the fields where the battles had been. They became a symbol—something we can look at and remember the people who were in those battles. So, when we wear a poppy, it’s like saying, “We remember you and thank you.” 

Rather than try to remember everyone, it is sometimes better to think about an individual who is no longer with us. Today I would ask us to remember a 21-year-old South Australian soldier Sapper Jamie Larcombe, who was killed by enemy fire in Afghanistan in 2011. Jamie was doing his job clearing the path for other Australian soldiers to make sure they weren’t killed or injured by enemy mines as they moved through rugged terrain.  Jamie is survived by his parents, three younger sisters and his girlfriend at the time. 

I also reflect on the experience of finding my husband’s great uncle’s grave in 2016 at Bray-sur-Somme in northeastern France, the Western Front, as it is known. We drove around the countryside for several hours, taking in the sight of the many, many small, but beautifully attended grave sights dotted about the countryside. As the Member for Hammond said, there are quite literally thousands of grave sites across this part of France, and Belgium. It gave me such a profound sense of the scale of the loss of life, and the bravery and importance of the Australian and allied soldiers who died there. 

We found his grave and stood taking in the poignance of the moment. His name was LT Alfred Gordon Farleigh MC. He was in the 33rd Battalion 1st AIF and killed in action on 22 August 1918. My husband shed a tear, perhaps reminded of the loss of the war he had most recently returned from in Afghanistan, and layed his own unit shoulder patch from 7RAR and a cigar at the base of the cross marking the grave. The day was icy cold, but that somehow seemed appropriate to the sights we saw that day. 

We also visited the Australian War Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux and the Newfoundland Memorial at Beaumont Hamel, extraordinary in their intact state, and the fact that in some places the trenches of each side were only about 10 metres apart. 

I never forget how I felt that day, the sense of history it gave me, and the enduring respect I have for the sacrifice those thousands of young men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice protecting our values and way of life. 

At the 11th hour, of the 11th day of the 11th month, people all around Australia—and in other countries too—pause and are silent for one minute. This minute of silence is a way to honour those who have sacrificed for us and to think about peace. Even if it’s just for a short time, it’s a moment to reflect on how important it is to look out for one another and work together to make the world a better, kinder place. 

I was reminded of this as I laid a wreath at both the Remembrance Day service at the Cross of Sacrifice in Klemzig and conducted by the Payneham RSL, and later at the St Peters Soldiers Memorial where a plaque was unveiled in recognition of the local men of the former Town of St Peters, who fought and died in the Second World War. I commend both the Payneham RSL and the staff of The City of Norwood Payneham and St Peters and the St Peters Resident’s Association for giving both these events the gravity they deserve. 

Remembrance Day isn’t just about history. It’s also about learning how to be brave and kind, like Jamie Larcombe. Those who served, and fell, showed us how important it is to care for each other and to stand up for what is right. We can honour their memory by doing the same in our own lives—by helping others, being good friends, and standing up for what is fair. 

So, as we wear our poppies and stay silent for a minute, let’s think about those who have helped make our world safer and more peaceful. And let’s remember that we, too, can make a difference every day by being kind and looking out for one another. 

Lest we forget.