This ANZAC Day, the speeches given to remember Australia and New Zealand’s war dead will lack the atmosphere of large and respectful crowds.
Here are eleven of the greatest ANZAC Day speeches:
1. Paul Keating, Eulogy for the Unknown Soldier, 1993
Debated whether the greatest ever ANZAC Day speech had to be delivered on Anzac Day and decided it didn’t. Not when the speech is this good. The Keating-Watson duo produced some classics (Redfern included) but for mine this is the finest of all. The line, ‘He is all of them. And he is one of us’ is as good as any delivered by an Australian politician doing this sort of a speech.
“We have gained a legend: a story of bravery and sacrifice and, with it, a deeper faith in ourselves and our democracy, and a deeper understanding of what it means to be Australian.”
2. Clive James, Battersea Memorial to Australian Airmen serving with RAF, 1988
Clive James delivered this in Australia’s bicentennial year to commemorate a plaque being laid for Australian servicemen who flew with the RAF. It’s a beautiful speech, poetic in parts, a phrase like ‘this was a harvest of our tallest poppies’. It also speaks to the nature of war, the bravery of those who fight, and the ways we reconcile the political ambiguities of why a war is fought. RIP Clive James, who died this year.
“They fought the wars anyway, and that was their glory. It’s obviously true that the world would have been a better place if the wars had never happened, but it’s profoundly true that it would have been an infinitely worse place if they had not been fought and won.”
3. Edouard Philippe, Opening of Monash Centre at Villers-Bretonneux, 2018
A Frenchman delivered one of the greatest ANZAC Day speeches two years ago when the Sir John Monash Centre openerd on the famous battlefield of Viellers-Bretonneux. The school there has for a century proclaimed ‘Never forget Australia’ in a permanent sign, and the French Prime Minister honoured our military effort with a brilliant and timeless speech. It’s in French, but worth hearing every word.
“Coming here, seeing this centre and tour, looking at the names of the 11,000 Australians who died for France and freedom, I could not help thinking of the terrible loneliness which these thousands of young Australians must have felt as their young lives were cut short in a foreign country. A foreign country. A far away country. A cold country whose earth had neither the colour nor texture of their native bush. A far away, foreign country which they defended inch by inch. In Fromelles in the Nord region, in Bullecourt in Pas-de-Calais and, of course, here in Villers-Bretonneux. As if it were their own country. And it is their own country.”
4. John Gorton, Welcome Home to Kerang RSL, 1946
Again, not delivered on ANZAC Day but a few weeks before on 6 April. The future Prime Minister and RAAF pilot spoke to his fellow returned soliders and evoked the ghosts of those who had not returned. A memorable, heart stirring speech that was named by The Australian newspaper as Australia’s best unknown political speech.
“I want you to forget it is I who am standing here. And I want you to see instead Bob Davey. And behind him I want you to see an army; regiment on regiment of young men, dead. They say to you, burning in tanks and aeroplanes, drowning in submarines, shattered and broken by high explosive shells, we gave t he last full measure of devotion.We bought your freedom with our lives. So take this freedom. Guard it as we have guarded it, use it as we can no longer use it, and with it as a foundation, build. Build a world in which meanness and poverty, tyranny and hate, have no existence. If you see and hear these men behind me - do not fail them.”
5. Jack Bell, Premer of Victoria Anzac Day Luncheon, 2019
Some of the most moving speeches are soldiers’ accounts and this is a great example. Jack Bell at the Premier’s Luncheon last year.
“I was shot down, south of Musus, Libya, on the 23rd January 1942 at approximately 9.30 a.m. in a Bristol Bombay. I can assure you this aircraft was travelling. It’s a big aircraft, ninety-four foot wing span and sixty-six feet long. But when a shell of that magnitude hits it, believe me it just knocks out everything.”
6. Julia Gillard, ANZAC Cove Dawn Service 2012
“Even at dawn, the shadows were already falling over this fate-filled day.”
Prime Minister Gillard showed with the misogyny speech that she was fine improviser, a brilliant speaker on her feet. But this is a wonderful scripted piece, delivered at Gallipoli in 2012.
“And the men who fought here from our nation, our allies and from Turkey did die – terrible deaths that spared no age or rank or display of courage. Over 130,000 men gave their lives in this place, two-thirds of them on the Turkish side and 8700 from Australia.
So this is a place hallowed by sacrifice and loss.”
7. Catherine Wallis, Dawn Service Wagga 2018
An example of the sort of speech we’ll miss attending dawn services around the country this year. Heartfelt, eloquent, moving. Delivered by Catherine Wallis, a coimmandant at the RAAF colege.
”Some of us are current serving members of the Navy, Army and Air Force. We honour our colleagues who have served proudly before us and we hope that should we ever be placed in their position, we will act in a way that brings pride to ourselves, our families and our country. That if we are truly tested, we will be steadfast, selfless and compassionate.”
8. Ted Baillieu, Pharmacy College Commemoration, 2019
A typically beautiful, evocative speech by the former Victorian Premier. It was delivered last year, a few days after Anzac Day. He has the knack for storytelling that makes a speech compelling.
“On Anzac Day the ode concludes: “At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them.” And we respond “We will remember them”.
And yet if asked what happened on Anzac Day, few can recall. We sang the Anthem. The last post was played. We stood in silence. Heard a speaker. The flag was raised. We observed the rituals.
The Commemoration was honoured.
But what do we take away? We recommit “We will remember them”. But who are “them”?”
9. Michael von Berg, Veterans Day Speech, Royal Australian Regiment Association, 2019
Michael von Berg MC AOM
Delivered on Veterans Day not Anzac Day, but so powerfully descriptive of the Vietnam experience that it deserved to be included.
“On patrol the breathing needs to be quiet but with the humidity and the stress at times you have difficulty in catching your breath in particular if you are ascending a 1 in 2 gradient fully loaded. Every step can be a challenge due to the slippery slopes and tiring of legs and the pumping of adrenaline that is coursing through your body watching for signs of the enemy. You must remain alert and positive but the conditions seem to make your mind wander at times where you are worried more internally about your discomfort than externally and the likely enemy threat. The key for any commander in that environment is not to set an unrealistic or dangerous pace to ensure if confronted by the enemy the soldiers are in a state of readiness and capability to fight.“
10. Sir John Monash, speech to returned servicemen, 1930
Australia’s most famous and celebrated general, speaking just 18 months before his death - about the nature of Anzac Day.
“It is an occasion for elevating the public spirit and public sentiment. We are gathering together our citizens in hundreds of thousands, who have presented to them noble ideals and noble thoughts, and they are animated by common ideals of worthy purpose.”
11. Neville Clark, Spirit of Anzac Address, Shrine, 2014
Former Principal of Mentone Grammar School gave a beautiful speech at The Shrine in Melbourne, Anzac Day six year ago.
:”This spirit of determination has lead inevitably to sacrifice, not just the fact of sacrifice which, between 1914 and 1918 for instance, resulted in irreparable loss for two young nations, but also a spirit of sacrifice, a team spirit if you will, through which many lives were saved by selfless acts of courage, for the sake of comrades-in-arms, and ultimately for freedom.”
Those are some of the notable speeches that we have found and that have been submitted about Anzac Day and Australian war history. We note the lack of New Zelaand speakers and would ask people to point us towards great speeches by New Zealanders. Also please send any other speeches you love. Lest we forget.