Latest news with #Anzacs'
NZ Herald
25-04-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Anzac legacy paves road to opportunity: Nick Stewart
Anzacs' sacrifice underpins the freedoms and opportunities we enjoy today, writes Nick Stewart. Nick Stewart is a financial adviser and CEO at Stewart Group. OPINION As commemorative dawn ceremonies took place across New Zealand yesterday, it's natural to think on what our soldiers must have experienced. Their sacrifice underpins the freedoms and opportunities we enjoy today. As the years pass,
Daily Mail
25-04-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Princess Anne pays solemn Anzac Day tribute in Gallipoli while the Duchess of Edinburgh leads dawn service in Hyde Park
Princess Anne has remembered 'brave Anzacs' in their own words during a dawn service in north-west Turkey where thousands fell 110 years ago. On a day when the sacrifice of Australian and New Zealand forces who were killed in the Gallipoli landings in 1915 was recognised in services across the world, the Princess Royal laid a wreath on that fateful coastline. Troops of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps - shortened to Anzac - landed on the western shore of the Gallipoli peninsula on April 25, 1915, as part of the failed campaign that lasted into 1916. In a message on social media King Charles, who attended the dawn service in Gallipoli on Anzac Day in 2005 and 2015, said he wanted to pay a special tribute to Australian and New Zealand veterans, and those who are on active service today. 'Through the generations, you have continued to enact the indomitable spirit of Anzac - forged in terrible conflict and preserved in peace - of courage, mateship and sacrifice,' he said. Meanwhile, the Duchess of Edinburgh joined Australians and New Zealanders for a dawn service at the Australian War Memorial at Hyde Park Corner, a wreath-laying ceremony at the Cenotaph and a Westminster Abbey service of commemoration and thanksgiving. New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia Sam Mostyn were among crowds who travelled from the southern hemisphere for the dawn service. During the service at Anzac Cove, Princess Anne reflected on the words of three men who were involved in the assault, including one of the first to land on the beach. She described the 'pluck' that 'our boys' had shown, while another described the 'terrible sight of hundreds of dead and wounded lying all along the beach - I shall never forget it'. The Princess Royal spoke of the eight month long campaign which cost and changed the lives of tens of thousands of Australian, New Zealand, British and French soldiers. 'Their words have helped us understand and support families left behind,' she said. '110 years later, we stand here at dawn to commemorate the Anzacs, remembering their bravery, courage and sacrifice. 'We also remember all Australian and New Zealand men and women who since that day have served their country in wars, conflicts and peace missions. Their service is not forgotten, we will remember them.' In his address, Mr Luxon described Gallipoli as a name 'etched into New Zealand's national identity'. 'It represents not only this shore and these hills, but the valour that was shown here on both sides, the terrible sacrifice and the utter tragedy of war,' he said. 'Some 16,000 Kiwis served here. At that time we were a nation of just a million people. Our contribution as a small nation at the bottom of the world was disproportionate. 'What happened here scarred generations of New Zealanders. While we remain proud of those who serve, we do not glorify what happened here, we know too much to do that, instead we acknowledge the courage and the tenacity of the Anzacs, and we respect of the valour of the Ottoman Turks who resisted them.' More than 100,000 troops died in the Gallipoli campaign during the First World War by the UK and allies to capture the Dardanelles Strait. The assault in 1915 was intended to wound the then Ottoman Empire and cut off a key connecting water route between the Aegean Sea and the Black Sea, a move which would have also aided Russia. Princess Anne attended services across Gallipoli on Thursday and laid wreaths for the fallen of several nationalities, including the UK and Ireland, France and Turkey. Later she met Mr Luxon as well as senior political figures and diplomats during a reception at the Kolin Hotel in Canakkale. During speeches, Princess Anne hailed Turkish friends and emphasised the importance of passing on the tradition of remembering those who have fallen in war. She quoted Turkish hero Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, saying: 'There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side in this country of ours. 'You, the mothers, who sent their sons from faraway countries, wipe away your tears. Your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this island, they have become our sons as well.' She described words such as these as having 'paved the way for ferocious battles that took place on this land to be replaced by long-lasting friendships and strong alliances that we must take forward to the future'.
NZ Herald
25-04-2025
- General
- NZ Herald
Anzac Day in Rotorua: Love and remembrance at 110th anniversary service
Reverend Tom Poata officiated the service which included guest speaker Angela Swann-Cronin, formerly of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Rotorua-raised Swann-Cronin (Ngāti Porou, Rongowhakaata) was the first Māori woman to become an air force pilot. She retired in 2009 after a 13-year career and now flies 787s for Air New Zealand. In her address, Swann-Cronin talked of love. 'Love is not always the word we associate with war. When we think of the battlefield, we think of hardship, loss and suffering, but when we look past the medals and the uniforms, we find love at the heart of courage,' she said. 'When the first Anzacs stepped on the shores of Gallipoli 110 years ago, they stepped into the unknown, but they did not do it alone.' Swann-Cronin spoke of the soldiers who stepped forward as one bound by duty but 'driven by love'. 'Love for their mates, love for their homelands and their families back home. 'Love is what brings us here today, we gather not just to remember loss but to remember what was given.' Swann-Cronin addressed 'keeping alive the memory' of her tipuna Hēnare Kōhere, who died at the Somme in 1916. 'Anzac Day reminds us of not just sacrifice but of the values we must uphold - courage, compassion, comradeship, commitment and aroha. 'Aroha mai aroha atu - let love be given and let love be returned.' Patience Lister from Rotorua Girls' High School and Harrison Roberts-Brake of John Paul College spoke also. Patience stood proudly as she addressed the hundreds who turned up to commemorate those who served. 'We gather to reflect on a significant day in our history, a monumental event in the history of New Zealand, which will not be forgotten.' Lister, a representative of the Rotorua Army Cadets, said she stood before the service with great respect for those who had worn the uniform before her. 'Anzac Day is a reminder of the responsibilities that we have to uphold as citizens, to uphold the legacy of those who came before us,' she said. 'We all have a role to play in shaping the future, embodying the same spirit of courage, responsibility and respect for our ancestors.' Harrison Roberts-Brake painted a picture of what the young soldiers who 'faced torture' experienced to 'supply us with freedom'. 'Oh, to be 18 and free,' he said. 'For thousands of Anzac soldiers who would've been a similar age to me, their dreams were paused, exchanged for the promise of glory and honour. 'Their valorous sacrifice is the foundation of our country today, their legacy shaped our modern world.' Roberts-Brake commemorated the late Sir Robert 'Bom' Gillies - the longest surviving Māori Battalion soldier who died in Rotorua last November. 'What Bom valued is exactly what our Anzacs fought and died for. 'Today, we evaluate how we can carry on the Anzacs' legacy, not just through memory but through action.' The 110th Anzac Day was the first without the late Sir Robert Gillies. 'This is a call to honour his legacy, all we really need is a little aroha,' Roberts-Brake said. 'We must recall not only what we've lost, but what we've gained.' He said there was an abundance lingering in Sir Robert 'Bom' Gillies' legacy, and there was a duty to promote a world where peace trumps pride. Roberts-Brake concluded his address with a question to those attending the service. 'Will you answer the call to honour his legacy?' The crowd stood silent for the Last Post as the New Zealand flag was raised. Laying of the wreaths took place during the service, and pipers from the City of Rotorua Highland Pipe Band played and the Rotorua Municipal Brass Band. Tapsell closed the ceremony. 'We acknowledge the veterans who have joined us today, we have such gratefulness and warmth in our hearts for the service of not only you, but your families and the sacrifice that you, your brothers and your sisters have made over the years.' At the end of the service there was a special performance by Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue honouring Sir Robert (Bom) Gillies (February 14, 1925 – November 7, 2024). 'As you can tell by their tears in their eyes and the love in their voices, this not only meant a lot to perform this today, but it meant a lot to dedicate that song, and today, many more years to come of memories of Sir Robert Gillies,' Tapsell said. 'May we not only acknowledge our loved ones on the 25th, but may we acknowledge them every day in our hearts.'
The Guardian
24-04-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Hecklers boo Indigenous elder during Melbourne Anzac Day dawn service Welcome to Country
Sections of the crowd were heard booing during the dawn service marking Anzac Day at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne. Shouts of 'It's Australia', 'We don't have to be welcomed' and 'What about the Anzacs' rang out as Bunurong elder Uncle Mark Brown gave the Welcome to Country
The Age
24-04-2025
- Sport
- The Age
Two-up: a ‘fair dinkum' tradition or a devilish game of skill?
The central bet involves the spinner, who is trying to throw heads (tails means they lose the kip to another spinner, and odds means a re-throw), and someone in the crowd matches their bet. Side-bets are made by onlookers for heads or tails, which are equally likely outcomes, each occurring 25 per cent of the time (some venues allow bets on odds, and a three-coin version is also played). The person who bets tails holds the cash so it is clear in the crowd who has bet what. The 'boxer' or ringmaster organises the betting, making sure money is exchanged fairly, and takes a 10 per cent cut of the spinner's winnings. They also initiate the throw – 'Come in, spinner!' So is it really 'fair dinkum'? 'Everybody thought they had a technique,' says Presnell, 'a long throw, a short throw, a different sort of throw.' He recalls seeing a spinner throw heads as many as 10 times consecutively in Kalgoorlie in WA, one of two places where two-up is legal year round. Stephen Woodcock, a mathematics professor at UTS, says recent studies have found a coin toss may not be as clear-cut as 50-50. One used 350,000 coin flips to find there was strong support for the idea that a coin lands slightly more often on the side it started – the coins in two-up are placed on the kip tails up, or odds up in casino versions – around 51 per cent of the time. Another, in which participants were told to try and flip for heads, found that some people may be able to positively influence the toss of a coin. But Woodcock believes the controlled conditions created by the kip, and the height coins must be tossed in two-up (at least three metres, without hitting the roof) means 50-50 is the likely split. Whether or not there's skill involved for the spinner, for those betting on the side, Woodcock says the attraction of two-up is precisely those even odds, compared to games such as roulette, which have the illusion of being fair, but favour the house more and more over multiple spins. 'I'm not really a gambler, but I would happily bet on two-up of any day of the week rather than roulette.' Why is it illegal during the rest of the year? Two-up has been legal without a permit on Anzac Day in most states and territories over the last 30 years, but it once had a reputation as a wild, unregulated game, often played at illegal 'schools'. Gambling reform campaigner and Baptist minister Tim Costello says Anzac Day two-up is harmless compared with the $31.5 billion Australians now lose to the gambling industry each year. But he says its association with the Anzacs' heroic sacrifice is evidence of the industry's success in pushing gambling as 'quintessentially an Aussie activity, that we're baptised at birth into eucalyptus oil and a punt'. 'In some ways, [Anzac Day two-up] is a parallel to the offering plate going around after a religious service.' The game's darker side was explored in cult Ozploitation film Wake in Fright (1971), where a young schoolteacher loses his money playing two-up and gets stranded in an outback town loosely modelled on Broken Hill, NSW. The town is the only place in the state where games are legally played year round, following a special dispensation lobbied for in 1992. Presnell says before illegal, then legal, casinos took over in the '70s and '80s, fortunes were made and lost in two-up schools, although mostly by the organisers: 'I've seen thousands gambled'. He often went to the legendary Thommo's School, run by ex-boxer and rugby league player Joe Taylor until 1979 at various locations in Surry Hills. 'Mastercoach' Jack Gibson spent time running the door at what was one of Australia's first major illegal gambling operations, but Presnell says Thommo's was 'fair dinkum', and a great leveller: 'a cross-section of Sydney society'. 'If you had a bad night, which were pretty constant, they'd give you 10 bob to get home, which was a courtesy of the house.' Loading Where can I play? Although this masthead revealed old favourite North Bondi RSL has moved to scrap the game this year, your local RSL or Diggers Club is still a good bet – just follow the crowds after 12pm. And while Surry Hills has changed since the days of Thommo's, two-up has found new life in an innovation combining the suburb's old and new characters: drag two-up, hosted by drag queens at several pubs and bars in the area.
