The Centenary of Anzac will mark a Century of Service, encompassing all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations in which Australians have been involved.
I am pleased to attend today’s release of General Sir John Monash’s wartime papers as part of the Australian War Memorial ‘Anzac Connections’ project original. These papers, maps and letters offer a deeply personal perspective of the war and are now available to the public online.
The First World War was the crucible that forged our nation and General Sir John Monash was one of the war’s truly outstanding commanders. Through his role in 1918, Monash and the Australian Army helped to change the course of history. This original online collection of his planning papers is not only of crucial importance to Australians but to anyone interested in research into the military history of the First World War.
During my recent visit to Villers-Bretonneux, I announced the Sir John Monash Interpretive Centre will open on the site that Monash and his fellow soldiers chose to dedicate to their comrades’ service and sacrifice. This centre will become a lasting tribute to General Monash and those who served with him. The centre should open on Anzac Day 2018 and will be a fitting conclusion to Australia’s commemoration of the war that shaped us.
The interpretive centre, as well as projects such as the Anzac Centenary Community Grants and this Anzac Connections project all serve as reminders that tens of thousands of men and women continue to serve our nation today, upholding a tradition that started a century ago. These men and women, and their families, devote their lives to the protection of ours and we owe them, as we owe their forebears, our respect for the work they do in our country’s name.
25 June 2014