Latest news with #AnzacDay
SBS Australia
16 hours ago
- General
- SBS Australia
'A call to remember': First Nations Veterans honoured at ceremony in Sydney
A warning this story contains the name of a First Nations person who has died. At the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park – a ceremony to remember First Nations veterans. Welcoming those in attendance, is Gadigal Elder, Allan Madden. 'Once again, on behalf of the land council and of the Gadigal mob, welcome, welcome, welcome.' A welcome dance is followed by a guard of honour, a smoking ceremony, and an opening prayer. The Ode, accompanied by a digeridoo. The service shining a light on veterans' stories. Squadron Leader Coen Henry, is a Royal Australian Air Force and Barkindji/Wiradjuri Man. 'The number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who served in the First and Second World Wars varies greatly. As ethnicity was not noted on enlistment documents an accurate figure will never be known, it has been suggested that more than 3,500 Indigenous people served in these conflicts.' This year's key address was from Lieutenant Colonel Joseph West, an Australian Army and Murrawari Man, whose ancestors died in Kokoda. He joined the military when he was 18. Lieutenant West reflects on the meaning of 'lest we forget'. 'It is more than recalling names and dates, it is a call to remember truthfully, completely and with respect. But in the past we failed this promise with Indigenous soldiers." The heritage of many First Nations service personnel was previously not even recorded. "People from non-European descent were not permitted to join the defence force, in accordance of the Defence Act of 1903. This meant that even though Indigenous soldiers volunteered and fought, they did so without formal recognition." The story of Lieutenants West's great-Uncle, Private Harold West was also told in the 1942 poem 'The Coloured Digger', by H E 'Bert' Beros. Lieutenant Commander Robert Valler is with the Royal Australian Navy. At the service, he read an excerpt from The Coloured Digger. "He'd heard us talk Democracy – They preach it to his face – Yet knows that in our Federal House there's no one of his race. One day he'll leave the Army, Then join the League he shall, And he hopes we'll give a better deal to the Aboriginal." The service was also an opportunity to educate younger Australians about the contributions of First Nations veterans in Defence. Hundreds of school students lined the Pool of Remembrance in front of the Anzac Memorial, and at the end of the service laid wreaths. Attendees of all ages engaged in the event, including multiple local school groups; invited to listen, commemorate, combine tradition, and help right historical wrongs.
7NEWS
a day ago
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Nick Daicos finally ends 82-game drought with first contested mark of his career
It's taken 82 games, but Collingwood superstar Nick Daicos has finally taken a contested mark. The strange stat has become a talking point in recent times, with even teammates aware of it. But the talk is officially dead, with Daicos achieving the stat in the opening minutes of Friday night's clash against Hawthorn. Veteran Steele Sidebottom collected a loose ball on the wing and cut back inside to spot up Daicos in the centre circle. The gun midfielder had James Worpel on his hammer but stood tall to hold onto the mark that was officially recognised as contested. The moment wasn't lost on the Channel7 commentary team. 'That looked like a contested mark to me,' Richmond great Matthew Richardson said. 'I think it is, is that the numero uno?' James Braydshaw asked. 'I'm calling it, that had to be,' Richardson confidently replied. Earlier in the season, brother Josh joked about Nick's lack of contested marks. After the Anzac Day game against Essendon, Josh was pretty happy to talk about it following his own electric performance that included 36 touches and, yes, two contested marks. 'We get into Nick sometimes trying to get him a contested mark,' Josh said on Fox Footy. 'When they saw me have two back-to-back (contested marks) they got around me which made me feel good.' Teammate Isaac Quaynor also spoke about it during the Round 9 win over Fremantle. 'You want Nick Daicos wherever you can get him and it's good to have him up forward,' Quaynor told Channel 7 during the half-time break. 'He almost took his (first ever) contested mark. 'We've been trying to get him a contested mark all year, so it was close.' The contested mark drought hasn't appeared to bother Daicos at all. The 22-year-old continues to dominate the competition and remains the Brownlow Medal favourite.
9 News
2 days ago
- Business
- 9 News
Clothes retailers are paying the price for our unseasonably warm autumn
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Australians might have basked through an unseasonably warm autumn, but not everyone is enjoying the unusually summery weather. New retail data released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that Australians spent less in April than the month before. That was due in part to the warm weather, which stopped shoppers from reaching for new winter purchases. Australians have pulled back on clothes shopping during a warmer-than-usual autumn. (Dion Georgopoulos) "Clothing retailers told us that the warmer-than-usual weather for an April month saw people holding off on buying clothing items, especially new winter season stock," ABS head of business statistics Robert Ewing said. Australia sweated through its hottest March on record, and April temperatures were a degree above the long-term average. While overall spending dropped 0.1 per cent in April – despite the Easter and Anzac Day long weekends that would have been expected to boost consumption – clothing and footwear was down a far more substantial 2.5 per cent for the month. There was a notable bounce back in Queensland, though, as households spent more following the destruction caused by Cyclone Alfred. "Queensland retailers recovered from last month's temporary business closures and fewer customers," Ewing said. Spending in Queensland picked up following the disruption and damage caused by Cyclone Alfred the month before. (Getty) "In April, we saw higher spending in the industries most impacted by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. "More people dined out and made recovery purchases on household items like furniture and electrical goods." The ABS also released new data on the number of housing approvals, which have fallen to their lowest level since last August, and remain nowhere near the level required to meet the federal government's 2029 targets. "Even on a three-month annualised basis, approvals are running at around 187,000 per annum (which is an 18 per cent increase from the 2023 trough, but 26 per cent below the peak in 2021)," AMP economist My Bui said. "The key to getting housing approvals (as well as housing completions) up is to have more units in the mix, rather than detached houses. "At the peak, units accounted for about half of all approvals, but in April only 35 per cent of building approvals were units. "With Australia's chronic undersupply issue, we should be building roughly 240,000 dwelling units per year – similar to the number targeted in the national housing accord... it is now much harder to see the target being met." CONTACT US Property News: 'Stressful': Perth mum's dilemma after rental mix-up.
Scoop
2 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Home Consents Down In The Month Of April 2025
There were 2,418 new homes consented in April 2025, down 17 percent compared with April 2024, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. 'The drop in number of new homes consented in April 2025 may have been impacted by the timing of Easter weekend and Anzac Day, with people potentially taking time off in between,' economic indicators spokesperson Michelle Feyen said. Of the 2,418 new homes consented, there were: 1,148 stand-alone houses consented (down 15 percent compared with April 2024) 1,270 multi-unit homes consented (down 19 percent). .............................
Scoop
2 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
King's Birthday: What's Open, What's Closed And How It's Decided Who Gets Honours
Explainer – King Charles' birthday is commemorated with a public holiday on Monday – what's open, how do those royal honours get chosen and should we still celebrate it, anyway? Nik Dirga, Digital Explainer Editor Explainer – King Charles' birthday is commemorated with a public holiday on Monday – what's open, how do those royal honours get chosen and should we still celebrate it, anyway? Here's everything you need to know about the holiday. What's open on Monday? Do I have to work? It is a public holiday, but some people may still have to work depending on their employer. Employees are paid time-and-a-half and entitled to a paid day off if a public holiday falls on a normal working day for them. However, if you are a contractor or working for yourself, you don't get those benefits. You can read more about public holiday rules for employers here. Trading restrictions don't apply on Monday as they do for Easter holidays, the morning of Anzac Day or Christmas. Shops, restaurants and cafes can be open as usual but it pays to check opening hours beforehand. I'm gonna want a latte, do I have to pay a surcharge? Because businesses have to pay employees more on a public holiday, it raises their costs. So some businesses choose to add a surcharge to their prices on holidays. The typical surcharge is 15 percent. However, businesses must be clear about announcing those charges to customers via signage, verbally or other methods. Customers can also complain to the Commerce Commission if they feel misled or a charge was excessive. King's Birthday is also about celebrating New Zealanders' achievements Dozens of New Zealanders will be given royal honours which will be announced on Monday for excellence in their fields. It's the second time each year honours are given out – they're also announced on New Year's Eve. Cool, can I get an honour? Who decides who gets them? Literally anyone can nominate someone living who they think deserves a Royal Honour. (Unless you try to nominate yourself, which is not allowed and also kind of weird.) The Honours Unit at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet processes between 800 to 1000 nominations a year, Blair Teesdale-Moore, senior communications advisor with the department, said. 'The unit prepares a draft citation for each one based on the information in the nomination and letters of support,' she said. The Cabinet Appointments and Honours Committee then considers every nomination individually in a series of confidential meetings over several weeks. 'As chair of the APH committee and the King's primary advisor on honours matters, the prime minister advises the King on the final honours lists,' Teesdale-Moore said. 'By long-standing constitutional convention the King of New Zealand acts on the advice of the prime minister – this includes the formal approval of New Zealand Royal honours.' Once the draft list is set, it is then given informal approval by the governor-general, run by potential recipients first – 'a small number decline,' Teesdale-Moore said – and then it's off to the King, who is the head of our honours system. Hang on, the King was born in November. Why are we celebrating in June? King Charles III turns 77 on 14 November. So why are we wishing him a happy birthday now? Blame the weather. The tradition of celebrating the monarch's birthday in the northern summer dates back hundreds of years, and is tied in with the Trooping the Colour ceremonial event held every June in London. The ceremony of Trooping the Colour is believed to have been first performed during the reign of King Charles II from 1660 to 1685, the British Army says. In 1748, during the reign of King George II, the sovereign's birthday first became a celebrated holiday. Trooping the Colour became tied in to celebrate the monarch, no matter when their actual birthday was. Ever since then, the king or queen has basically had two birthdays – the real one, and the big old fancy military parade one. Trooping the Colour will be held in the UK on 14 June this year. Is the King's Birthday really something NZ should be marking in 2025? That's a matter of opinion and it all depends on who you ask. As part of the Commonwealth, King Charles is New Zealand's head of state. Of course, there have been calls to change that, which ramped up after the death of Queen Elizabeth II following her 70-year reign in 2022. Monarchy New Zealand organisation did not respond to requests for comment from RNZ by deadline, but on its website calls the monarchy 'something all Kiwis can be proud of'. 'It's a vital component of our government, a guarantee of our democracy, and a sign of our maturity and independence as a nation. 'The King is a completely apolitical head of state (who) represents all New Zealanders regardless of their political views. This cannot happen in a republic.' However, there are also calls to abandon the holiday celebrating a monarch on the other side of the world. Savage, the chair of the New Zealand Republic organisation, called King's Birthday an 'empty public holiday that celebrates nothing in particular. It is no one's birthday and even the Brits don't celebrate it as a public holiday'. 'It has already been surpassed by Matariki as a proper, meaningful public holiday. New Zealand Republic was one of the first groups to start campaigning for Matariki and we are campaigning to replace King's Birthday with a spring time public holiday in September.' NZ Republic suggests a replacement public holiday could be Citizenship Day, when New Zealand citizenship was officially established on 6 September 1948 by the passing of the New Zealand Citizenship Act, or Suffrage Day on 19 September, marking the day in 1893 that NZ signed into law allowing women to vote. But for now, your public holiday off is thanks to the King.
