Click on the image above to view the Mayor's 2023 Anzac Day Message.
On Tuesday 25 April 2023, the nation will pause to remember and
honour those who have served to protect our country – the unsung, unknown and
often unidentified heroes who fought and died for the freedoms we gratefully enjoy
today.
To acknowledge the legacy of ANZAC Day, Southern Downs Regional
Council is proud to support a number of services and events across the region
and a full list is available at https://www.sdrc.qld.gov.au/our-region/events---festivals/anzac-day-services.
Southern
Downs Mayor Vic Pennisi reflects on how the fateful battle at Gallipoli in 1915
became the catalyst to the birth of our nation’s rich history of mateship and
sacrifice for others, and he encourages the community to come together to
commemorate one of the most significant events in our national calendar.
“I cannot imagine what the battle field was like on that day. I
often reflect on the Anzacs and what it was like to continue to climb that hill
in spite of overwhelming odds. They have influenced and taught us so much. A
collective group of people who fought and died for the freedoms we enjoy, and often
take for granted. We think freedom is our right when in fact, it’s a freedom we
owe the Anzacs. These people shaped this nation and they deserve our gratitude
and respect. They left their families behind and joined together to create a
formidable fighting fellowship that will always be remembered. I salute their
courage, their approach to comradeship, their tenacity, and their selfless
sacrifice,” Mayor Pennisi said.
“I believe that all Australians will feel some connection with
those who fought battles past. We enjoy the freedom they so richly deserved,
and many never experienced. I acknowledge their strength. It is a strength that
we have inherited and it continues to shine in each and every one of us today.
“It is important to honour and say thank
you to all those who have risked so much in conflicts all over the world. Few
of us have ever had to risk everything ourselves, or chance our loved ones to
the dangers of war. Today, a new generation of our soldiers, airmen and sailors
are serving in troubled locations and I humbly pay tribute to you all.
“We will remember them.
Lest we forget.”
Last edited date 24 Apr 2023