Remembrance Day: Premier Roger Cook says we ‘must never forget’ at poignant Kings Park ceremony

Premier Roger Cook has told West Australians we “must never forget” the sacrifices of Australians who have served in armed conflicts as hundreds gathered at Kings Park to commemorate Remembrance Day. The solemn ceremony was one of many held across the country and around the State to mark 106 years since the guns fell silent on the Western Front in 1918. At the national ceremony at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Governor-General Sam Mostyn remembered the more than 100,000 Australians who lost their lives since 1915. “Each year, we tender our tribute anew to the generations of servicemen and women who have died or suffered for Australia in conflicts far from home,” she said. She said Remembrance Day was a time for the country to “deeply acknowledge the commitment made by the women and men of today’s Australian Defence Force”. “They serve with integrity, courage, and honour in their dedication to duty, their pursuit of peace, and their defence of Australia,” she said. “They also embody the flame of remembrance and today, across Australia, we now gather… offering our own tributes to the fallen and the families, the veterans, and all those who know what it is to serve. “Honouring them and all those who have gone before, we embrace their memory and hold it in our hearts.” Speaking after the ceremony, while announcing that Vietnam War veteran Richard Norden had been posthumously awarded a Victoria’s Cross, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke of the importance of Remembrance Day. He said the minute’s silence observed across the country was a “solemn echo of that moment 106 years ago when the guns fell still across Europe”. “A moment for all of us to remember and honour every generation of Australians who have answered the call to serve,” he said. “Together we renew a promise our nation made to the fallen, to their families, to veterans and their loved ones. A promise to remember.” In Perth, the Premier was joined at the commemoration by dignitaries including RSL WA chief executive Stephen Barton, WA Governor Chris Dawson, Perth Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas and deputy veteran affairs commissioner Peter King. “At 5am on 11 November 1918, in a railway carriage in France, representatives of France, Britain and Germany all signed a document that would put an end to four years of conflict, and six hours later at 11am, those signatures would bring into effect the Armistice that ended World War I,” Mr Cook told the crowd. “At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, as the guns fell silent on the Western Front, the horrors of war were replaced with rejoicing and the ringing of bells across the world. “The war to end all wars was over, and the nation stopped to remember the 60,000 Australians who made the ultimate sacrifice and the more than 170,000 injured, taken prisoner or missing on the battlefields of Europe.” Mr Cook said local services like Soldier On, Legacy and Mates For Mates were “invaluable” in supporting the 60,000 veterans living in WA. “The State of Western Australia supports current veterans through the Anzac Day Trust, which to date, has dispensed over $11 million for the betterment of veterans,” he said. “Western Australia is also actively working with the Commonwealth and other States and Territories in actioning the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide on this Remembrance Day. “As we pause to reflect and remember the tremendous courage and sacrifice of those who left those shores and never returned. “We should also remember those members who have served and continue to serve in our Army, Navy and Air Force. “We must never forget to reflect on those who gave all and ensured that their commitment (and) their sacrifice remains remembered always.” RAAF WA president Clive Robartson said it was important to educate young Australians on past wars. “In the Air Force, there were some huge battles (where) a lot of people were lost. . . it’s so important that we continue this tradition and that our young people, as they grow up, understand why we come together on Remembrance Day.” A Prayer of Remembrance was followed by a wreath-laying ceremony, Last Post and minute silence. “Jack”, a custodian set of bagpipes which were used by Australian soldier William Scott at the 1916 Battle of the Somme were played to mark the end of the ceremony. “Piper William Scott (was) a soldier in the second Tyneside Scottish who piped his battalion into the attack on the first day of the Battle of the Somme,” Mr Barton said. “Piper Scott fell in the German trench where the pipes were recovered.” At 10.59am, buglers played the Last Post at eight locations across the city.