WA students fly ANZAC flag

3/04/05
Western Australian school students will be flying the Australian flag at major ANZAC Day ceremonies in Greece, France and England this year.
Education and Training Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich said the 146 students were representatives of whom the State could be proud.
"Soldiers who served Australia can be assured that the newest generation of Western Australians are truly worthy of their sacrifice," Ms Ravlich said.
"These young people will uphold the high regard that Australians earned in Europe, in those earlier, more troubled times."
Today the Minister will attend a performance at the Perth Concert Hall by the 132-member Perth Modern School orchestra and choir.
The group will perform at the official ANZAC Day Services in Villers - Bretonneux and Bullecourt on the Somme battlefields in France on Saturday, April 23.
On April 25, the students will perform at a Dawn Service at the new Australian War Memorial in London and at the official commemoration in Westminster Abbey.
The students will be the first from a WA State school to perform at the ceremonies in France and the first Australian school group to be invited to the ceremonies in England.
Another 11 WA students will accompany Premier Geoff Gallop in commemorating ANZAC Day under the shadow of the Acropolis in Athens.
The students and Dr Gallop will visit battlefields and cemeteries and attend special ANZAC ceremonies on the Greek islands of Crete and Lemnos, where many Australians fought, died or were imprisoned in the two world wars.
Lemnos, in the Aegean Sea, 110km from the Gallipoli battlefields, was used both as a hospital and administrative area for the Gallipoli campaign during World War I.
The students will attend memorial services hosted by the local governor at the East Moudros and Portianos Military Cemeteries on Lemnnos, where many ANZAC soldiers are buried.
On Crete, the students will visit war cemeteries and the Greek Orthodox Monastery at Prevelly, from where many Commonwealth soldiers, including members of the 2/11 Battalion - the 'City of Perth Regiment', comprised of young men from WA - were able to escape to Egypt, following the fall of the island to German forces in World War II.
Prevelly Beach Park and the Chapel of St John in Margaret River were built to honour the assistance provided by monks at the monastery.
The 14 students participating in the trip were selected last December after a competition involving 700 public and private schools.
They will participate in the Schools' ANZAC Service at the Kings Park War Memorial on April 6, before leaving for the 14-day State Government funded tour on April 21.
The 14 students selected to travel with the Premier are:
Years 9/10:
Christopher Vogt, Lynwood Senior High School
Stephen Dawson, Como Secondary College
Koko Wozniak, Mt Lawley Senior High School
Jeremy Rich, Churchlands Senior High School
Year 11:
Elliot Seiffert, Kwinana Senior High School
Elliot Smith, Esperance Senior High School
Rhys Vallance, Northam District High School
Anna Hayward-Rowling, Duncraig Senior High School
Year 12:
Thomas Johns, Prendiville College
Zara Saliba, Perth College
David Mutton, Narrogin Senior High School
Samantha Berloth, Thornlie Senior High School
Pearl Lim, Ballajura Community College
Sarah Peyman, Carine Senior High School.
Minister's office: 9213 6800