“They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them.”
These words, penned a century and ten years ago by the English poet Laurence Binyon, have become immortalised as the Ode for the Returned and Services League (RSL) and a fixture at ANZAC Day commemorations around the country. In hearing them, as I did this past weekend at the annual Sunday Service of the Epping RSL Sub-Branch, it was impossible not to tremble.
The remarkable thing is that they have never become rote during my 37 years in Australia, perhaps in the same way as prayers and recitations in a church.
On the contrary, I have found that they take on a different hue each time, capable of fresh interpretation whether received through the wide-eyed innocence of a child, the wisdom you gain as an adult, all the way to those solemnly and quietly contemplating their own mortality in later life.
The power of the Ode, I have also found, lies in combination with the strains of The Last Post. It is a melody that can fill the air with pomp and assurance, or tentatively, self-consciously, with everyone willing the bugler to succeed despite the occasional false note.
Ironically, it is the less confident rendition that forces the deepest introspection. Almost as if the wavering tune and rustling wind are metaphors for the vicissitudes of the soldier and fragility of life.
Sunday’s event started with a sombre service at the Epping Club. This was followed by the traditional short parade along Rawson Street to the Boronia Park Cenotaph for the dedication ceremony and laying of wreaths.
Shaded by blue gum trees, within earshot of the chirping of birds and youngsters enjoying nearby play equipment, the site is one of my favourite places in Epping. Bearing a plaque on stone plinth, and surrounded by additional plaques mounted on a perimeter wall, it is dedicated to locals who paid the ultimate sacrifice during the First and Second World Wars.
These men and women form an estimated 103,000 deaths with Australian units from Korea to Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and other theatres of conflict around the world.
The scale of the loss, and of the pride to local communities, is unfathomable.
Noticeable among the sea of faces – including those who joined afterwards for tea, coffee, and a heaping serving of cakes and ANZAC biscuits, was the diversity. Veterans wearing blazers and medals, together with their families. Members of the Golden Kangaroos Concert Band. Parents of young children brandishing their musical instruments, many of Asian or Indian subcontinental background. Local dignitaries, uniformed cadets, representatives of nearby churches and just ordinary community members and passers-by.
We will see a similar fusion of traditional and contemporary Australia as more events take place across Parramatta and Cumberland culminating with ANZAC Day on Thursday. All paying their respects to a sacrifice that remains timeless, and the values of courage, endurance and mateship in the face of adversity – first forged on the cliffs of Gallipoli – that will forever define who we are.
This year’s commemorations come at a troubled time both in the world and at home. With the recent tragedy at Bondi Junction and church riot in Wakeley, our community has gained newfound appreciation of the importance of public service and how it takes many forms.
The actions of Inspector Amy Scott in singlehandedly neutralising a lethal threat to the public will live long in the history of this city, in the same way as those of our armed service personnel.
We cannot all be soldiers, firefighters or police. But perhaps this ANZAC Day, we can think about acts of service that we can perform in our own lives.
This is what ANZAC Day does – compelling us to care beyond self and appreciate that we are nothing without those around us, not to mention those who have come before.
I visited Gallipoli back in 2007, the only time in my life that I have done so. Having been born in London with parents hailing from Goa in India, I still remember it as an important stop on my visit to Turkey. A pilgrimage that I felt I had to make.
Coming to terms with ANZAC Day is important for all of us as we learn, in our own way, to become not just better people but better Australians.
Alan is a journalist and communications specialist. He writes a weekly column for Parra News.