We are gathered here in this place with a single and sacred purpose.
And that is to honour those of our nation's sons and daughters who have served our nation in uniform.
From the killing fields of the Western Front.
The unspeakable brutality of Sandakan.
The impossible war that was Vietnam.
And so to the living dangers of today as the grandsons and great-grandsons of ANZAC once again do their duty - this time in theatres spread from the Sudan to the Solomons.
I believe there is no higher calling in the life of the nation than to serve the nation in uniform.
The military life summons forth the most elemental of human virtues: service; sacrifice; self-sacrifice; courage; determination and endurance.
And all given shape by an old fashioned (some might say, unfashionable, but I for one do not) patriotism - a deep reverence for this great land Australia and the great values for which we stand.
I say all this as one who has never worn the uniform - but as one who over the years has spent many, many days in this great memorial studying the lives of those who have.
For Australians, there is a raw emotion to this place. It is impossible to leave this place and not be moved by it.
A deep sense of loss.
A deep sense of pride.
And yes, a deep sense of hope - as we walk silently past the names of the fallen - that their sacrifice should never be in vain and that our duty to them is to remain forever vigilant.
Some nations were forged in war. Ours was not.
Some nations have been rent asunder by war. Ours has not.
Other nations have been of necessity defended in war. And ours has been one. And we, with the support of our great American ally, prevailed.
This national experience has shaped us all.
The first duty of any Australian Government must be for the proper defence of the nation.
Past governments have accepted this duty.
The government I lead accepts this duty.
As will those who come after me.
It is a solemn duty.
It is the core business of the nation.
The security of the nation is the cornerstone on which all else is built.
That is why, while we must cut our cloth in the other departments of state to meet the economic circumstances of our time, we must ensure that those charged with the planning of our future defence can do so with certainty.
And that also is the Australian Government's resolve.
That the nation's defence budget continues to grow with certainty and predictability.
Since its opening in 1941, this great War Memorial has commissioned galleries to honour those who served in the Great War.
Those who served in the Second World War.
And now it is time to honour those who have served abroad in our nation's uniform in the decades since.
To honour the more than 130,000 Australians who have served since 1945.
To honour the 1005 Australians, who served for us and who were not returned to us since 1945.
To honour the service they have rendered in nations as diverse as Korea, Malaysia, Borneo, Vietnam, the first Gulf War; and now the second; Afghanistan; East Timor, Somalia, the Sudan, the Solomons and beyond.
And so our engagement continues.
It says something about the nature of Australia itself.
That we as a people are not only serious about the defence of the liberty of our own nation.
As a people, we are also mindful of the liberty of other nations.
Acting where necessary in partnership with our friends, our allies and the great community of nations in the affairs of the world.
It is not (and never has been) in the nature of Australians to be indifferent to the plight of others.
As a people, we are, by instinct, internationalist.
I congratulate the staff of the War Memorial for the excellence of their work.
I have visited many such memorials around the world.
I believe this memorial to be the best in the world.
And so it should be.
Because our first duty is to honour our men and women in uniform and to honour their contribution to our great nation.