Anzac Day is a Busy Day
Just 4400 mostly Australian and New Zealand pilgrims turned out this year ahead of the 2015 centenary commemorations which will see 10,500 people crammed on to North Beach.
Veterans’ Affairs Minister Michael Ronaldson said the soldiers who mistakenly landed at Anzac Cove 99 years ago were, by their own admission, ordinary men. They did not seek glory, nor did they want their actions to be glorified for it was they who quickly came to know the true horror of war, the minister said as the sun raised over the Gallipoli cliffs. That these ordinary men, however, did extraordinary things is beyond doubt. Senator Ronaldson said the Anzacs left a vanquished fighting force but were victorious in helping forge the identity of our two new nations. As the dawn of this new day breaks over the peninsula our tribute to the spirit of Anzac is a reverential silence, he said. Some 8700 Australians died during the eight-month campaign alongside 2700 New Zealanders.
It’s estimated up to 87,000 Turks lost their lives. The modern Turkish nation, too, was built partly on the back of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s success as a commander at Gallipoli. He went on to become the republic’s first president in 1923. Ironically, it was a little further along the same strip of foreshore that 99 years ago Diggers propped for a rest before launching further doomed assaults on the Turks. It’s absolutely awesome, Tour Company Top Deck’s Shae Harrington from Adelaide said yesterday as her 431 pilgrims rested or played impromptu games of footy in the area. In the past we have sat in the sun from 3pm and we tell everyone to bring water, sunscreen etc but this is great and everyone is really happy.
Phillip van Bentum from tour operator Fanatics also said it was a very welcome change. It really takes the edge off to be able to sit here and relax for the night ahead rather than being sat in the sun to wait, he said. One issue that did arise was a critical lack of toilets with long queues forming for the few port a loos that had been erected.
We have had that feedback and that will change for next year, a Department of Veterans Affairs official said.
Just 4400 mostly Australian and New Zealand pilgrims turned out this year ahead of the 2015 centenary commemorations which will see 10,500 people crammed on to North Beach.
Veterans’ Affairs Minister Michael Ronaldson said the soldiers who mistakenly landed at Anzac Cove 99 years ago were, by their own admission, ordinary men. They did not seek glory, nor did they want their actions to be glorified for it was they who quickly came to know the true horror of war, the minister said as the sun raised over the Gallipoli cliffs. That these ordinary men, however, did extraordinary things is beyond doubt. Senator Ronaldson said the Anzacs left a vanquished fighting force but were victorious in helping forge the identity of our two new nations. As the dawn of this new day breaks over the peninsula our tribute to the spirit of Anzac is a reverential silence, he said. Some 8700 Australians died during the eight-month campaign alongside 2700 New Zealanders.
Phillip van Bentum from tour operator Fanatics also said it was a very welcome change. It really takes the edge off to be able to sit here and relax for the night ahead rather than being sat in the sun to wait, he said. One issue that did arise was a critical lack of toilets with long queues forming for the few port a loos that had been erected.
We have had that feedback and that will change for next year, a Department of Veterans Affairs official said.