Speeches
Saturday, 14 December 2024
Burnside District Fallen Soldiers' Memorial Centenary Ceremony
Rod and I are honoured to join you to commemorate the Centenary of the Burnside District Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial.
I am delighted to do so in the footsteps of my predecessor, then Governor of South Australia, Lieutenant General Sir George Tom Molesworth Bridges - himself a distinguished army officer who saw service in World War I including commanding the 19th Western Division during the battle of the Somme - who stood here 100 years ago to the day to unveil this poignant memorial statue.
I also stand in the footsteps of another Governor and Army Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Sir Henry Galway, who, along with then Premier the Honourable Archibald Peake, followed by relatives and friends of the fallen, planted the first trees of this stately avenue, commemorating their loved ones; 87 trees for 87 fallen soldiers.
In 2022, the dedication and consecration of 22 previously unrecognised World War I fallen soldiers of the Burnside District took place and another 22 trees were allocated.
Set in the heart of the community, this is an important place, a place of deep cultural, historical, and spiritual significance.
Each time I travel along this avenue, a spirit is evident to me.
It has been so since childhood. Back then it was already apparent to me that this was a solemn place, although I didn’t fully understand why.
One hundred years later as we gather to remember, we speak openly and with respect and reverence of those who gave their lives for their country.
We honour their memory, and I am struck by how different the experience of being here today is from that of my childhood memories.
Today we remember them, not just as names to be wondered about, but as sons, brothers, uncles, loved ones.
We remember not only that they died so we could live in freedom. We remember, too, that they bravely sacrificed the lives they weren’t able to live, the families they didn’t have, the careers that were unable to blossom.
One hundred years later, they are not forgotten. Their families and the broader community remember them. They are in our hearts.
I felt this most recently at the rededication of the St Peters memorial nearby. I felt this at the centenaries of the Burra and Robe War Memorials. I have felt this at other commemorations.
Each name has a family, a friend and others who still remember, and in this way a living connection endures.
I thank the City of Burnside and the Rose Park Memorial Commemoration Committee for your dedication in maintaining this State Heritage site.
This memorial is a place where today’s young people, and generations to come, can come to understand how we have been shaped by the service and sacrifice of others.
The statue, in depicting a solider climbing over the top of a trench and turning back to offer a helping hand to his mate, provides a striking image of their legacy - the spirit of mateship, the spirit of community, the spirit of not leaving anyone behind.
May we all continue to live up to these ideals.
Lest we forget.