Anthony Albanese attended the wreath-laying in the centre of Sydney,his first as Prime Minister,accompanied by Premier Dominic Perrottet and NSW Governor Margaret Beazley.
Remembrance Day service in Martin Place attended by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese,Premier Dominic Perrottet and Governor of NSW Margaret Beazley.Dean Sewell
One of the first to occupy the seats opposite the Cenotaph was 91-year-old James Jeans,who served in Vietnam in 1971 as a major as ground liaison officer to 9 Squadron.
From Cremorne Point and with dual British-Australian citizenship,he said his job was to brief the helicopter pilots on “what to do,where to do it and what not to do and where not to go”.
“I am not proud to have been there,it was a total disgrace but as a soldier you go where you are told and that’s it,” he said.
“I have attended Remembrance Day for ever since I can remember. I think as a soldier it is a duty to attend something like this,in my case as a child it was in memory of those who died in World War One. I’ll keep on going for as long as nature spares me,I’ll soldier on.”
“I am not proud to have been there,it was a total disgrace.”
91-year-old Vietnam veteran James Jeans
Crowds soon stood three deep along Martin Place as the bugling and bag piping got underway. After The Last Post the 11th hour was marked by the solemn chimes from the recently refurbished clock tower at 1 Martin Place,which was originally the GPO Building.
The clock tower was taken down during the Second World War amid concerns that it could provide a useful landmark to enemy aircraft.
Speaking after the service,Mr Albanese said it was a great honour for him to attend.
“We must always remember the brave men and women who defended our nation at our time of need,” he said. “Today is the day that we remember those who didn’t come home but[also] those that have come home with issues that are ongoing,many of which have been identified by the Royal Commission into Veteran Suicide that is doing its ongoing work.”
The Last Post bugler at the Remembrance Day service.Dean Sewell.
One of the “brave men” was Doug Tear,a major in the infantry who served in Malaya,Borneo and Vietnam. “I remember the camaraderie,we well trained for the job we were given,” he said. Asked about the low points he told it like it was:“None really,apart from some people unfortunately got killed. That was just part of the job we were doing.”
A “brave woman” was Robyn White with her lapel full of medals who was an army nursing officer and in the Reserves as a nurse and doctor. “I went to Rwanda in 1994 and then short tours of the Middle East in 2011 and 2012,” she said. “Going to Rwanda was a high and a low at the same time. The humanitarian crisis in Rwanda is something that I have never been able to fully come to terms with.”
The RSL NSW,which helps care for those who have come home,said that for the first time in 40 years membership numbers had increased as it confronts the challenges of what was an ageing membership. Figures show they say that membership increased by 2,143 since October last year.
Ray James said:“For the first time in 40 years,RSL NSW membership is increasing and the average age of members is decreasing - an extremely positive outcome in our work toward future-proofing RSL NSW.”
As in previous years poppies were projected on to the sails of the Royal Opera House.