Reflect & Remember: Anzac Day 2024

Over the previous two years I’ve had the privilege of attending Anzac Day companies in Canberra and Perth. Annually it’s a possibility to mirror and bear in mind those that have served and misplaced their lives to defend our freedom.

There’s a lengthy custom of our armed forces marking this vital day collectively. On the 25 April 1916 in London greater than 2,000 Australian and New Zealand troops marched by means of the streets; a London newspaper headline dubbed them “the knights of Gallipoli”. And this yr can be no completely different, with my defence and diplomatic colleagues in Australia attending Anzac Day companies throughout each state and territory. It will likely be an honour to take action alongside serving troopers and veterans. Personally, I’ve the nice privilege of attending the service this yr in Sydney.

Subsequent yr will mark 110 years because the Gallipoli landings, the primary main navy motion fought by Australia and New Zealand forces in the course of the First World Struggle. It noticed 16,000 Australian’s New Zealanders, with British French and Indian troops landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula. Through the marketing campaign, over 410,000 British troopers served in Gallipoli and greater than 41,000 British have been killed, combating with their Anzac companions.

This historic alliance continues to develop. There are over 75 British trade officers embedded throughout Australia, working and coaching alongside their Australian colleagues.

Our defence and safety relationship continues in direction of an unprecedented state of strategic intimacy and customary identification. And naturally, AUKUS is probably essentially the most seen instance of this alteration, a generational shift in our defence and safety dynamic. As world occasions proceed to unfold, we see these partnerships develop. Whether or not in our joint help to Ukraine to defeat an unlawful Russian invasion; or defending freedom of navigation, worldwide commerce, and human life by countering illicit non-state actors within the Crimson Sea and Gulf of Aden.

The UK’s Defence Secretary Grant Shapps stated on his current go to to Australia that we’re shifting from a post-war age to a pre-war one. Ought to this be the case then nice allies should tighten their bonds. The brand new Defence and Safety Cooperation Settlement together with its ‘standing of forces’ settlement, signed final month in Canberra, will permit Australia and the UK to take a more in-depth view of those shared world challenges.

Working in Australia and constructing this partnership is a big honour. As is representing my nation as we recognise the service and sacrifice of so many. And in doing so we bear in mind and honour the values which have been invested within the unique Anzacs – loyalty, selflessness, braveness.