President Alison has obtained the text of the impressive ANZAC day address given in Maryborough on ANZAC Day last weekend by Captain Tony Mullan. Click "Read more..." for the text.Ladies and Gentlemen:
In the pre-dawn darkness on 25th of April 1915, the first soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, the first ANZACs, landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula.
By the end of that first day, over 16,000 men had surged ashore; more than 2,000 were dead or injured. These men did not set out to be immortalised. But their conduct on that day – and over subsequent months -- has provided them a special place in our national consciousness.
Today, we honour the sacrifice of those first ANZACs and those who fought alongside them at sea and in the air - not only at Gallipoli but throughout the Great War. We also remember the many thousands of Australian men and women who have followed their examples in other conflicts: World War Two, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, on UN Peace Keeping Missions and on other operations.
These Australians offered themselves in the service of our Nation, and in the service of peace and justice. They fought on land, in the air and at sea. They endured and they suffered. Many died in the course of their service; in battle, of wounds, of disease and in captivity. And those who returned were never the same people again. Their stories are at the core of our shared identity as Australians.
The stories of these servicemen and women are as wide and varied as the places they served, the conflicts they served in and the people themselves. They were Australians from the cities and the country, they served in jungles and deserts, in string and canvas aeroplanes and submarines. And they all served their country so that we could stand here today in freedom. Their stories are our stories now and I wish to share one of them with you today - the story of Ordinary Seaman Edward ‘Teddy’ Sheean
On 1 December 2020 Teddy was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, 78 years to the day of his passing. In doing so he become the first member of the Royal Australian Navy to be awarded Australia’s highest honour for valour. It is appropriate that on this day we remember his self-sacrifice.
On December 1, 1942, Teddy was serving in the warship HMAS Armidale which was operating off Timor to Australia’s north, when they were attacked by no less than thirteen enemy aircraft.
The little corvette maneuvered frantically and fired at the enemy, but was struck multiple times by torpedoes, and by bombs.
HMAS Armidale was heavily damaged and as she heavily to port, the order was given to abandon ship. The survivors leapt into the sea where they were machine-gunned in the water by the attacking aircraft.
Once he had helped to free a life raft, Teddy – already wounded in the chest and back – crawled back to his gun and strapped himself in. He kept firing as the ship sank beneath him. He shot down one aircraft, and kept others away from his mates in the water.
He was still firing his gun as Armidale slipped below the waves, dragging him down.
Only 49 of the 149 men who had been on board survived the sinking and the ensuing days in life rafts. Many of these men credited their lives to Sheean; one man who did all which it was possible to do to save his shipmates.
Born, not far from Devonport, in Lower Barrington, Tasmania; Teddy Sheean was a country lad, only eighteen years old. Like so many others from the country, whether here, in Marybourough, or else ware, he stepped forward when asked and did his duty.
Teddy’s acts were remarkable and they speak to service above self, something that everyone who wears, or has worn, a uniform understands.
Throughout 2020 and 2021, many members of the Defence Force have continued provided service before self, supporting Australian citizens in distress. They have helped those affected by bushfires, storms and floods, and contributed to the fight against COVID-19.
But that service has not stopped at our shores. Our Defence force has deployed to help our near neighbors in Fiji over Christmas in the aftermath of Cyclone Yasa, and in support missions to Papua New Guinea and Timor Leste. Further afield, the Australian Defence Force continues to deploy and represent our country throughout Asia and the Middle East Region.
It is over 100 years since the First World War, but we can still show gratitude for the sacrifice of our First Anzacs; and the sailors, soldiers and airmen who came after them and continue to uphold the Anzac tradition today.
Today is not a day to glorify war – it is a day to hope for peace. Today we show our respect for those who have served and we reflect on those qualities which make us better as individuals, and greater together as a Nation.
More specifically, we remember the 102, 866 people who have lost their lives in the service of our country - their names are engraved on the Australian War Memorial’s Roll of Honour and in the hearts of the loved ones they left behind.
The significance of their sacrifice is captured in the verse of John Maxwell Edmonds:
When you go home, tell them of us and say
For your tomorrow, we gave our today.
Lest we forget.