Premier praises Australian spirit and courage on French World War I battlefields

24/4/04
Premier Geoff Gallop has used a special ANZAC ceremony on the French battlefields to speak of the enduring spirit of the Australian soldier.
Delivering the keynote ANZAC address at Villers-Bretonneaux on the Somme, Dr Gallop acknowledged he was standing on ground that was heavily fought over in April 1918 between Australian and German soldiers.
"It was a crucial moment in the history of World War I that cost 60,000 Australian lives - more than all the Australians' other wartime losses combined," he said.
"It was a counter attack that marked the beginning of the end of the last great German offensive of the war.
"Australians once again proved themselves to be the finest in the world by holding off the greatest military onslaught the world had seen up until that point."
The Premier spoke of the emotion of walking on fields where tens of thousands of Australians spent the last moments of their lives.
"It is a very visceral and almost inexpressible emotion for Australians to tread this soil and imagine what was experienced by these gallant troops," he said.
"We may no longer remember their smiles, their faces or their personalities but we do know that they fought with courage, they endured with good humour and they stuck to the end. These qualities will hold them in our hearts forever."
While in Villers-Bretonneaux, the Premier also presented the annual Sadlier-Stokes scholarship to fourth year French University student Lorraine Acquart, who specialised in urbanism. The scholarship commemorated the great courage of a Western Australian lieutenant, Clifford Sadlier VC and Sergeant Charlie Stokes, during the battle to liberate Villers-Bretonneaux.
Created in 1989 by the Australian Government, the scholarship was awarded annually to a dedicated French student who demonstrated a sound knowledge of Australia. Mademoiselle Acquart had developed a project aimed at comparing Australian suburbs with France.
The Premier is leading a group of 12 young Western Australian school students on a tour of the French battlefields including Pozieres, Le Hamel, Fromelles and Villers Bretonneaux.
The students have also been involved in wreath-laying services with the Premier.
Students chosen for the trip demonstrated a strong interest in, and knowledge about, the ANZAC experience, Western Australia's connection to it and the State's military history in the 20th century.
The inaugural trip is part of the State Government's commitment to enshrining ANZAC Day as a day of primary importance to all Western Australians.
From France, the group is travelling to London to attend the first ANZAC Day dawn service to be held at the new Australian memorial in London's Hyde Park. Dr Gallop and seven of the students have speaking roles at the event. The group will then attend an ANZAC commemoration service at Westminster Abbey.
Premier's office: 9222 9475