PRIME MINISTER ABBOTT:
It’s terrific to be here with Prime Minister John Key of New Zealand, my ANZAC brother, as we prepare to travel to Albany for the centenary of the departure of the ANZAC convoy for Egypt and ultimately for Gallipoli.
One hundred years ago tomorrow four war ships, 32 transports, left Albany with 20,000 Australian and 8,000 New Zealand soldiers bound for Gallipoli. It was a heavy day in our history and it led to even heavier times to come but it established a great bond, a great partnership which has endured for a century and will last forever.
So, we go on together as brother countries and we have many challenges today and tomorrow just as we had challenges one hundred years ago but Australia and New Zealand, as always, face the future together and it is great to have John Key in Australia for this important commemoration.
PRIME MINISTER KEY:
It’s great to be back in Australia. Tony, I know we are going to see a lot of each other in the next six to eight months but maybe tomorrow will be one of the most important as we take a moment to think back and reflect on the enormous service and sacrifice of those very brave Australian and New Zealand men who went off to terrible conditions and a terrible war.
It was, as you say, the place where the ANZAC brotherhood was forged and that is a partnership that’s as strong today as it was back then one hundred years ago.
So, it’s good to be here in Perth and I look forward to some fruitful discussion tonight.
[ends]