With the morning sun shining down the 2021 Forest Crescent Primary Anzac Service, 23rd April, got underway with the Head Boy, Baily, and Councillor, Mina, welcoming everybody to our ANZAC service, where we all take time to remember and honour those men and women who have fought and those who have died in wars to protect the freedoms we enjoy today. ANZAC Day is not all about past history. Even though Australia is not at war, many Australians are currently serving in wars and peacekeeping operations overseas. ANZAC Day is a particularly important date to Australians with friends or family members in the Australian Defence Force (ADF). On ANZAC Day, many families think of their mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers or sisters who are in war zones or on peacekeeping missions overseas. We today take the time to reflect and thank all these people who help make our lives safe.
Our special guests, Mr Stuart Holmes (Ex-Army Reserves- RAE) and Mr Stewart Brisbane (Ex– RAAF) from the Returned and Service League of Australia (RSL) were also in attendance. Then Mina introduced the choir performance. The sixty-two student strong choir sang, “The Last Anzac”.
Then Aliah and Jorja came forward to recite the poem, “A Brown Slouch Hat”, by J Albert and son.
There is a symbol, we love and adore it,
You see it daily wherever you go.
Long years have passed since our fathers once wore it,
What is the symbol that we should all know?
It’s a brown slouch hat with the side turned up, and it means the world to me.
It’s the symbol of our Nation—the land of liberty.
And as soldiers, they wear it, how proudly they bear it, for all the world to see.
Just a brown slouch hat with the side turned up, heading straight for victory.
Don’t you thrill as young Bill passes by?
Don’t you beam at the gleam in his eye?
Head erect, shoulders square, tunic spic and span,
Ev’ry inch a soldier and ev’ry inch a man.
As they swing down the street, aren’t they grand?
Three abreast to the beat of the band,
But what do we remember when the boys have passed along?
Marching by so brave and strong.
Just a brown ….
J Albert & Son, Sydney, 1942
The whole school had a time of reflection when the principal, Mr Holmes on behalf of the staff, Bailey and Mina, school councillors on behalf of the students and Mrs Symes President of the P&C carried wreaths to lay at the bottom of the flagpole, on behalf of the school community to commemorate all Australians who have died in the war.
In commemoration of the ANZAC’s, Mina read the Ode of Remembrance.
They shall not grow old –
As we that are left grow old
Age shall not weary them –
Nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun –
And in the morning
We will remember them.
Then the whole school stood for the Last Post, a minute’s silence, then The Rouse as Eric and Hailey dutifully raised the Australian flag and New Zealand flag from half-mast to the masthead. The service was finished off with the whole school singing our national anthem.
Mr Stuart Holmes had generously donated a new flagpole to our grassed quadrangle so that both the Australian and New Zealand flags could be displayed during our commemorative services.
Thanks to our student councillors, Bailey and Mina (MC), Jorja and Aliah (Poem Recital), Eric and Hailey (Flag Attendees), Hunter (Audio)
ANZAC Service 2021 Gallery
