Latest news with #Anzacs
Irish Times
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Matt Williams: Owen Farrell could prove a clever pick for the Lions
Before Saturday's match in Adelaide, the only other occasion that Australian and New Zealand players have combined to form a team against the Lions was in 1989. Those players remember it as a spiteful occasion with lots of sledging, fighting, cheap shots and an obvious deep disdain between the groups. The Lions were also involved. The theory behind why there has never been another combined New Zealand/Australian XV in the following 36 years was that the players in the original team detested each other so much that the entire concept was abandoned. READ MORE That 1989 team was named The Anzacs. It is a word that is held sacred in both New Zealand and Australia as it was the acronym for the combined armies that the two nations sent to the first World War. The Anzacs suffered unimaginable losses in the carnage of Gallipoli and the western front. Yet the courage they displayed, which was beyond human imagination, continues to inspire the generations in both countries today. You will notice that this week's combined team of New Zealanders and Australians does not carry that sacred name. The Lions will face the Aunz Invitational XV. While the mob of 1989 produced an iconic encounter, with the Lions prevailing 19-15, it is fair to say that in the week leading up to the game the Anzac spirit was not on display. This match will be played in Adelaide, the City of Churches. The Aunz XV will need to get down on their knees and pray for divine intervention because this edition of the combined southern nations does not contain anywhere near the same talent as the 1989 team. It will also be the Lions' last opportunity to find a solution to their own self-inflicted problems. The original selection of four openside flankers in Josh van der Flier, Tom Curry, Jac Morgan and Henry Pollock has come back to haunt Andy Farrell . Since the opening day of this tour they have struggled to find a quality blindside flanker. Henry Pollock is unlikely to win many lineouts for the Lions. Photograph: Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images Leading into the Brumbies game, Pollock had not won a single lineout, and across all of this season's Champions Cup campaign with Northampton he secured just five lineout catches. Hardly the stats of a lineout guru. We only have to look back to England's opening game of this year's Six Nations in Dublin, when both Ben and Tom Curry, who are openside flankers, were selected. While they played with great skill and courage, the English lineout was negatively impacted. Ireland dominated the tail and launched attacking opportunities that powered an Irish victory. Tadhg Beirne and Ollie Chessum have both played the overwhelming majority of this season as second rows. The Lions have experimented with both at six. As blindside flankers, Beirne and Chessum have been two metres late to the breakdown. The Waratahs third XV won four turnovers at the tackle, compared with a solitary Lions steal. Against the Brumbies and the Waratahs, the Lions back row has not dominated the breakdown. It shows the selection of Pollock may have been politically correct but tactically wrong. I have the greatest respect for Owen Farrell . He is a warrior, a leader and has been an exceptional player for the Lions and England for more than a decade. Last Saturday at the Sydney Football Stadium, as a weak Waratahs team put in an inspiring defensive display, Farrell, in his new Lions tracksuit, was pictured on the stadium's big screen. There was a large section of the Lions contingent who loudly booed when he appeared. This is the same appalling, ignorant behaviour that English supporters inflicted on Farrell during the last World Cup in France. While this bullying is totally against every principle in our game, wrongly or rightly Owen's selection by his father has left both Farrells open to criticism. When a fullback gets injured and is replaced by an outhalf, who is the coach's son, the haters get their opportunity. However, there is a compelling argument as to why Andy Farrell has called Owen into the squad. The foundation of the Lions dominance on this tour has been their scrum. The horrible laws that punish technical scrum infringements with penalties has provided the Lions with a powerful platform. If the Lions select a 6-2 bench in the Test matches – which I believe they will, aiming to obliterate the Wallabies scrum as they did to the Waratahs and the Brumbies – then Owen Farrell becomes the perfect multi-position reserve back. Owen is a world-class goal kicker, outhalf, ball distributing inside centre and is capable of playing fullback. Unlike Marcus Smith, Farrell is a punishing defender who does not miss tackles. Perhaps all of this talk of flanker weakness and 6-2 benches is academic. After the Wallabies disturbingly poor performance against a very unlucky Fiji, they do not appear capable of exploiting any Lions faults. The series-ending injury to Noah Lolesio has exposed the giant problem in Australian rugby that I have been talking about for more than a decade. The lack of talented Australia outhalves is unimaginable. The players who are being considered to wear the Wallaby 10 jersey against the Lions would not get a start in any of the Irish provinces. The only bright spot in an otherwise gloomy few weeks for the Wallabies was that both the Waratahs and Brumbies proved what we already know. Defence wins big matches and both teams tackled their hearts out and pushed the Lions. Joe Schmidt may be forced to consider abandoning any thoughts of running rugby and select a 7-1 bench. Kick high. Chase hard. Smash anything wearing red. Take your penalty shots at goal or maul. Rinse and repeat. The Wallabies can select two complete packs to imitate Springboks rugby. It would be an abomination to the Australian rugby public, but it may be the only path for the Wallabies to have any chance of victory.
The Advertiser
09-05-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Working at Facebook would be fun, no? Ex-staffer gives it the thumbs down
New-release books include an erotic romance by Blanche D'Alpuget and an insider account of Facebook's inner workings. Sarah Wynn-Williams. Macmillan. $36.99. Anyone with even the slightest question about Facebook and its place in the world should read this book. Diplomat and New Zealander Sarah Wynn-Williams thought the social network could change the world in a positive way so she pitched hard for a job and ultimately became director of global policy. Things didn't end well. The book is, of course, only her side of the story, but it makes some startling claims about what goes on behind the like button. Facebook got a gag order, but this backfired when Wynn-Williams was asked to testify before the US Congress. A compelling read. Bob Crawshaw. Australian Scholarly Publishing. $49.95. On a cold, wet Canberra Saturday in August 1947, Australian prime minister Ben Chifley sent out a 42-word press statement, casually mentioning to newspaper reporters including the legendary Alan "Red Fox" Reid that he had "one or two things of interest for you today". The statement announced the Labor Government's intention to nationalise the billion-pound banking industry. The banks fought back with a monumental advertising and public relations campaign, with opposition leader Robert Menzies and his fledgling Liberal Party pouring fuel on the fire. The ALP lost the 1949 election and the playbook for industry attacks on governments was set. Daniel Reynaud. Signs Publishing. $29.95. Salvation Army brigadier William "Fighting Mac" McKenzie was a wowser. As a Salvo, it was in his job description. But despite his fervent opposition to grog, brothels, betting and bad language, McKenzie was the Army chaplain best-loved by the Anzacs, serving alongside them in Egypt, at Gallipoli and on the Western Front. McKenzie became a wartime celebrity for his efforts in supporting the troops, helping to lift their morale and campaigning for those at home to write to lonely soldiers. As Reynaud says: "If the original Anzacs revered him, then we who revere them should pay attention to his story." A.C. Grayling. Oneworld Publications. $32.99. What has happened to the quality of public debate around the world? A.C. Grayling turns his philosopher's eye to the politics of the culture wars and how debates about societal issues big and small can quickly deteriorate into incendiary and bitter exchanges. The combatants, Grayling writes, deploy new weapons: "cancelling' and "no-platforming" on one side and accusations of censorship and denial of free speech on the other. As a result, he says, the task of ending discrimination and promoting social justice is undermined by excesses on all sides. Grayling argues that there are better ways to resolve our differences. Jane Caro. Allen & Unwin. $34.99. Lyrebirds are brilliant mimics, so if they make the blood-curdling sound of a woman screaming in terror and begging for her life, what horrific crime has happened in this dense bushland in the Barrington Tops National Park? Researching for her PhD in ornithology at Newcastle University, Jessica Weston is horrified by the male lyrebird's mating song but police, despite the enthusiasm of newly appointed detective Megan Blaxland, aren't interested. Two decades later, when a woman's body is found near where Jessica heard the lyrebird, she joins Megan to unearth her identity. This thriller is commentator Jane Caro's second novel for adults after The Mother. Chris Flynn. Hachette. $32.99. This book's opening scene came to author Chris Flynn in a dream. He imagined families watching a junior footy game when the kids all freeze and begin singing. For his fourth novel, a supernatural horror, he turns that vision into a nightmare as children playing in a Saturday morning under-10s soccer match in the small Australian town of Gattan suddenly stop moving, sing a verse of Latin and then die. And the same thing happens to every nine-year-old on the planet at the exact same time. As grief and fear ricochet around the globe, Gattan families reckon with the fallout of this apocalyptic phenomenon. Blanche D'Alpuget. Popcorn Press. $29.99. At 81, Blanche D'Alpuget, the author of 15 books, including Robert J Hawke: A Biography and historical fiction like Turtle Beach and Winter in Jerusalem, takes a daring dive into the genre of erotic romance and mystery with this racy detective novel set in Sydney's wealthy eastern suburbs and the posh manor houses of the NSW Southern Highlands, where long-time morning television host Evelyn Sinclair is found dead in a shocking bondage scene. Who was her mystery lover? Why were long-stemmed yellow roses delivered to her by someone dressed in PPE? And what's with the group with plush pink bunnies attached to their backpacks? Emily Henry. Viking. $34.99. Everyone has a story to tell, but when the story is coming from a famously reclusive heiress, you know it's going to be a page turner. With a rockstar husband and a media magnate family that has attracted almost as many headlines as their publications produced, the life story of Margaret Ives is one any writer would love to tell - especially Alice Scott, an up-and-coming journalist who is striving for her big break. There is just one problem: Pulitzer-winning Hayden Anderson is also vying for the memoir of the century. As both writers try to untangle the tantalising history of Ives, they begin to realise that their own story could be a mystery, tragedy or romance. Love books? Us too! Looking for more reads and recommendations? Browse our books page. Bookmark the page so you can find our latest books content with ease. New-release books include an erotic romance by Blanche D'Alpuget and an insider account of Facebook's inner workings. Sarah Wynn-Williams. Macmillan. $36.99. Anyone with even the slightest question about Facebook and its place in the world should read this book. Diplomat and New Zealander Sarah Wynn-Williams thought the social network could change the world in a positive way so she pitched hard for a job and ultimately became director of global policy. Things didn't end well. The book is, of course, only her side of the story, but it makes some startling claims about what goes on behind the like button. Facebook got a gag order, but this backfired when Wynn-Williams was asked to testify before the US Congress. A compelling read. Bob Crawshaw. Australian Scholarly Publishing. $49.95. On a cold, wet Canberra Saturday in August 1947, Australian prime minister Ben Chifley sent out a 42-word press statement, casually mentioning to newspaper reporters including the legendary Alan "Red Fox" Reid that he had "one or two things of interest for you today". The statement announced the Labor Government's intention to nationalise the billion-pound banking industry. The banks fought back with a monumental advertising and public relations campaign, with opposition leader Robert Menzies and his fledgling Liberal Party pouring fuel on the fire. The ALP lost the 1949 election and the playbook for industry attacks on governments was set. Daniel Reynaud. Signs Publishing. $29.95. Salvation Army brigadier William "Fighting Mac" McKenzie was a wowser. As a Salvo, it was in his job description. But despite his fervent opposition to grog, brothels, betting and bad language, McKenzie was the Army chaplain best-loved by the Anzacs, serving alongside them in Egypt, at Gallipoli and on the Western Front. McKenzie became a wartime celebrity for his efforts in supporting the troops, helping to lift their morale and campaigning for those at home to write to lonely soldiers. As Reynaud says: "If the original Anzacs revered him, then we who revere them should pay attention to his story." A.C. Grayling. Oneworld Publications. $32.99. What has happened to the quality of public debate around the world? A.C. Grayling turns his philosopher's eye to the politics of the culture wars and how debates about societal issues big and small can quickly deteriorate into incendiary and bitter exchanges. The combatants, Grayling writes, deploy new weapons: "cancelling' and "no-platforming" on one side and accusations of censorship and denial of free speech on the other. As a result, he says, the task of ending discrimination and promoting social justice is undermined by excesses on all sides. Grayling argues that there are better ways to resolve our differences. Jane Caro. Allen & Unwin. $34.99. Lyrebirds are brilliant mimics, so if they make the blood-curdling sound of a woman screaming in terror and begging for her life, what horrific crime has happened in this dense bushland in the Barrington Tops National Park? Researching for her PhD in ornithology at Newcastle University, Jessica Weston is horrified by the male lyrebird's mating song but police, despite the enthusiasm of newly appointed detective Megan Blaxland, aren't interested. Two decades later, when a woman's body is found near where Jessica heard the lyrebird, she joins Megan to unearth her identity. This thriller is commentator Jane Caro's second novel for adults after The Mother. Chris Flynn. Hachette. $32.99. This book's opening scene came to author Chris Flynn in a dream. He imagined families watching a junior footy game when the kids all freeze and begin singing. For his fourth novel, a supernatural horror, he turns that vision into a nightmare as children playing in a Saturday morning under-10s soccer match in the small Australian town of Gattan suddenly stop moving, sing a verse of Latin and then die. And the same thing happens to every nine-year-old on the planet at the exact same time. As grief and fear ricochet around the globe, Gattan families reckon with the fallout of this apocalyptic phenomenon. Blanche D'Alpuget. Popcorn Press. $29.99. At 81, Blanche D'Alpuget, the author of 15 books, including Robert J Hawke: A Biography and historical fiction like Turtle Beach and Winter in Jerusalem, takes a daring dive into the genre of erotic romance and mystery with this racy detective novel set in Sydney's wealthy eastern suburbs and the posh manor houses of the NSW Southern Highlands, where long-time morning television host Evelyn Sinclair is found dead in a shocking bondage scene. Who was her mystery lover? Why were long-stemmed yellow roses delivered to her by someone dressed in PPE? And what's with the group with plush pink bunnies attached to their backpacks? Emily Henry. Viking. $34.99. Everyone has a story to tell, but when the story is coming from a famously reclusive heiress, you know it's going to be a page turner. With a rockstar husband and a media magnate family that has attracted almost as many headlines as their publications produced, the life story of Margaret Ives is one any writer would love to tell - especially Alice Scott, an up-and-coming journalist who is striving for her big break. There is just one problem: Pulitzer-winning Hayden Anderson is also vying for the memoir of the century. As both writers try to untangle the tantalising history of Ives, they begin to realise that their own story could be a mystery, tragedy or romance. Love books? Us too! Looking for more reads and recommendations? Browse our books page. Bookmark the page so you can find our latest books content with ease. New-release books include an erotic romance by Blanche D'Alpuget and an insider account of Facebook's inner workings. Sarah Wynn-Williams. Macmillan. $36.99. Anyone with even the slightest question about Facebook and its place in the world should read this book. Diplomat and New Zealander Sarah Wynn-Williams thought the social network could change the world in a positive way so she pitched hard for a job and ultimately became director of global policy. Things didn't end well. The book is, of course, only her side of the story, but it makes some startling claims about what goes on behind the like button. Facebook got a gag order, but this backfired when Wynn-Williams was asked to testify before the US Congress. A compelling read. Bob Crawshaw. Australian Scholarly Publishing. $49.95. On a cold, wet Canberra Saturday in August 1947, Australian prime minister Ben Chifley sent out a 42-word press statement, casually mentioning to newspaper reporters including the legendary Alan "Red Fox" Reid that he had "one or two things of interest for you today". The statement announced the Labor Government's intention to nationalise the billion-pound banking industry. The banks fought back with a monumental advertising and public relations campaign, with opposition leader Robert Menzies and his fledgling Liberal Party pouring fuel on the fire. The ALP lost the 1949 election and the playbook for industry attacks on governments was set. Daniel Reynaud. Signs Publishing. $29.95. Salvation Army brigadier William "Fighting Mac" McKenzie was a wowser. As a Salvo, it was in his job description. But despite his fervent opposition to grog, brothels, betting and bad language, McKenzie was the Army chaplain best-loved by the Anzacs, serving alongside them in Egypt, at Gallipoli and on the Western Front. McKenzie became a wartime celebrity for his efforts in supporting the troops, helping to lift their morale and campaigning for those at home to write to lonely soldiers. As Reynaud says: "If the original Anzacs revered him, then we who revere them should pay attention to his story." A.C. Grayling. Oneworld Publications. $32.99. What has happened to the quality of public debate around the world? A.C. Grayling turns his philosopher's eye to the politics of the culture wars and how debates about societal issues big and small can quickly deteriorate into incendiary and bitter exchanges. The combatants, Grayling writes, deploy new weapons: "cancelling' and "no-platforming" on one side and accusations of censorship and denial of free speech on the other. As a result, he says, the task of ending discrimination and promoting social justice is undermined by excesses on all sides. Grayling argues that there are better ways to resolve our differences. Jane Caro. Allen & Unwin. $34.99. Lyrebirds are brilliant mimics, so if they make the blood-curdling sound of a woman screaming in terror and begging for her life, what horrific crime has happened in this dense bushland in the Barrington Tops National Park? Researching for her PhD in ornithology at Newcastle University, Jessica Weston is horrified by the male lyrebird's mating song but police, despite the enthusiasm of newly appointed detective Megan Blaxland, aren't interested. Two decades later, when a woman's body is found near where Jessica heard the lyrebird, she joins Megan to unearth her identity. This thriller is commentator Jane Caro's second novel for adults after The Mother. Chris Flynn. Hachette. $32.99. This book's opening scene came to author Chris Flynn in a dream. He imagined families watching a junior footy game when the kids all freeze and begin singing. For his fourth novel, a supernatural horror, he turns that vision into a nightmare as children playing in a Saturday morning under-10s soccer match in the small Australian town of Gattan suddenly stop moving, sing a verse of Latin and then die. And the same thing happens to every nine-year-old on the planet at the exact same time. As grief and fear ricochet around the globe, Gattan families reckon with the fallout of this apocalyptic phenomenon. Blanche D'Alpuget. Popcorn Press. $29.99. At 81, Blanche D'Alpuget, the author of 15 books, including Robert J Hawke: A Biography and historical fiction like Turtle Beach and Winter in Jerusalem, takes a daring dive into the genre of erotic romance and mystery with this racy detective novel set in Sydney's wealthy eastern suburbs and the posh manor houses of the NSW Southern Highlands, where long-time morning television host Evelyn Sinclair is found dead in a shocking bondage scene. Who was her mystery lover? Why were long-stemmed yellow roses delivered to her by someone dressed in PPE? And what's with the group with plush pink bunnies attached to their backpacks? Emily Henry. Viking. $34.99. Everyone has a story to tell, but when the story is coming from a famously reclusive heiress, you know it's going to be a page turner. With a rockstar husband and a media magnate family that has attracted almost as many headlines as their publications produced, the life story of Margaret Ives is one any writer would love to tell - especially Alice Scott, an up-and-coming journalist who is striving for her big break. There is just one problem: Pulitzer-winning Hayden Anderson is also vying for the memoir of the century. As both writers try to untangle the tantalising history of Ives, they begin to realise that their own story could be a mystery, tragedy or romance. Love books? Us too! Looking for more reads and recommendations? Browse our books page. Bookmark the page so you can find our latest books content with ease. New-release books include an erotic romance by Blanche D'Alpuget and an insider account of Facebook's inner workings. Sarah Wynn-Williams. Macmillan. $36.99. Anyone with even the slightest question about Facebook and its place in the world should read this book. Diplomat and New Zealander Sarah Wynn-Williams thought the social network could change the world in a positive way so she pitched hard for a job and ultimately became director of global policy. Things didn't end well. The book is, of course, only her side of the story, but it makes some startling claims about what goes on behind the like button. Facebook got a gag order, but this backfired when Wynn-Williams was asked to testify before the US Congress. A compelling read. Bob Crawshaw. Australian Scholarly Publishing. $49.95. On a cold, wet Canberra Saturday in August 1947, Australian prime minister Ben Chifley sent out a 42-word press statement, casually mentioning to newspaper reporters including the legendary Alan "Red Fox" Reid that he had "one or two things of interest for you today". The statement announced the Labor Government's intention to nationalise the billion-pound banking industry. The banks fought back with a monumental advertising and public relations campaign, with opposition leader Robert Menzies and his fledgling Liberal Party pouring fuel on the fire. The ALP lost the 1949 election and the playbook for industry attacks on governments was set. Daniel Reynaud. Signs Publishing. $29.95. Salvation Army brigadier William "Fighting Mac" McKenzie was a wowser. As a Salvo, it was in his job description. But despite his fervent opposition to grog, brothels, betting and bad language, McKenzie was the Army chaplain best-loved by the Anzacs, serving alongside them in Egypt, at Gallipoli and on the Western Front. McKenzie became a wartime celebrity for his efforts in supporting the troops, helping to lift their morale and campaigning for those at home to write to lonely soldiers. As Reynaud says: "If the original Anzacs revered him, then we who revere them should pay attention to his story." A.C. Grayling. Oneworld Publications. $32.99. What has happened to the quality of public debate around the world? A.C. Grayling turns his philosopher's eye to the politics of the culture wars and how debates about societal issues big and small can quickly deteriorate into incendiary and bitter exchanges. The combatants, Grayling writes, deploy new weapons: "cancelling' and "no-platforming" on one side and accusations of censorship and denial of free speech on the other. As a result, he says, the task of ending discrimination and promoting social justice is undermined by excesses on all sides. Grayling argues that there are better ways to resolve our differences. Jane Caro. Allen & Unwin. $34.99. Lyrebirds are brilliant mimics, so if they make the blood-curdling sound of a woman screaming in terror and begging for her life, what horrific crime has happened in this dense bushland in the Barrington Tops National Park? Researching for her PhD in ornithology at Newcastle University, Jessica Weston is horrified by the male lyrebird's mating song but police, despite the enthusiasm of newly appointed detective Megan Blaxland, aren't interested. Two decades later, when a woman's body is found near where Jessica heard the lyrebird, she joins Megan to unearth her identity. This thriller is commentator Jane Caro's second novel for adults after The Mother. Chris Flynn. Hachette. $32.99. This book's opening scene came to author Chris Flynn in a dream. He imagined families watching a junior footy game when the kids all freeze and begin singing. For his fourth novel, a supernatural horror, he turns that vision into a nightmare as children playing in a Saturday morning under-10s soccer match in the small Australian town of Gattan suddenly stop moving, sing a verse of Latin and then die. And the same thing happens to every nine-year-old on the planet at the exact same time. As grief and fear ricochet around the globe, Gattan families reckon with the fallout of this apocalyptic phenomenon. Blanche D'Alpuget. Popcorn Press. $29.99. At 81, Blanche D'Alpuget, the author of 15 books, including Robert J Hawke: A Biography and historical fiction like Turtle Beach and Winter in Jerusalem, takes a daring dive into the genre of erotic romance and mystery with this racy detective novel set in Sydney's wealthy eastern suburbs and the posh manor houses of the NSW Southern Highlands, where long-time morning television host Evelyn Sinclair is found dead in a shocking bondage scene. Who was her mystery lover? Why were long-stemmed yellow roses delivered to her by someone dressed in PPE? And what's with the group with plush pink bunnies attached to their backpacks? Emily Henry. Viking. $34.99. Everyone has a story to tell, but when the story is coming from a famously reclusive heiress, you know it's going to be a page turner. With a rockstar husband and a media magnate family that has attracted almost as many headlines as their publications produced, the life story of Margaret Ives is one any writer would love to tell - especially Alice Scott, an up-and-coming journalist who is striving for her big break. There is just one problem: Pulitzer-winning Hayden Anderson is also vying for the memoir of the century. As both writers try to untangle the tantalising history of Ives, they begin to realise that their own story could be a mystery, tragedy or romance. Love books? Us too! Looking for more reads and recommendations? Browse our books page. Bookmark the page so you can find our latest books content with ease.
Otago Daily Times
03-05-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
‘Over 40 years' of Anzac addresses given
Archdeacon the Ven Bernard Wilkinson (centre) leads the procession from Maheno School to the cenotaph. PHOTOS: CLAIRE TAYLOR Maheno's Anzac Day commemoration has had a distinctive figure at the helm for over 40 years: 94-year-old archdeacon the Ven Bernard Wilkinson. The former Oamaru vicar is known for his ability to keep the local remembrance fresh each year and never repeat a story. Maheno School principal Stella Macrae said on Anzac Day Archdeacon Wilkinson's addresses remained "passionate, interesting and [had] a strong message". He still cuts an energetic figure and only stepped down as manager of the Oamaru Churches Food Bank a year ago. Until his "retirement" 34 years ago, Archdeacon Wilkinson was the vicar of St Andrew's Maheno, and continued his link with Anzac Day. "I can't quite remember how long it's been. Over 40 years," the archbishop said. He addresses the Maheno gathering each Anzac Day with personal anecdotes, offering reflections focused on humanity rather than religion. Typically about 150 people attended but "over 200" gathered last Friday, he said. His Anzac addresses were inspired by his own experiences, stories told to him or those passed down through the years. But the essential message never changed — the goal was "remembrance". Archdeacon Wilkinson noted many ordinary people had important wartime stories that deserved to be told. His favourite part of the commemoration was "standing on the steps of the memorial and seeing all the people". He was "particularly impressed" with the Maheno School pupils who marched to the memorial and laid poppies on Anzac Day. Mrs Macrae said the school was always involved in the Anzac commemoration, underscoring its special link to SS Maheno. The former Union Steamship Company liner was used during World War 1 by the New Zealand Naval Forces, as HMNZ Hospital Ship No 1. Maheno ran aground on Fraser Island in 1935. Its bell was given to Maheno School in 1967 by the company. Although it was no longer used as a school bell, due to cracks, it was rung annually on Anzac Day. The bell remained a symbol of the bond between New Zealand and Australia, built on the sacrifices of the Anzacs, Mrs Macrae said. — Claire Taylor, Journalism Student
Otago Daily Times
30-04-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
University remembers past students
A solemn ceremony honouring World War 1 dead included a roll call of fallen University Rugby Club players on Friday. About 100 people attended the Otago University Students' Association annual Anzac Day service. Emeritus Prof John Broughton said the service marked 110 years since the Gallipoli landings and paid tribute to more than 500 students and 27 staff who served in World War 1, in particular the 97 who died for the nation. "We will never forget the brave who lie across the sea." "Our whakataukī, or proverbial saying, still resonates today — 'Mate atu he toa, ara mai ra he toa — As one brave warrior falls, there is also always another to fill the breach'." Otago University Students' Association president Liam White said the day was "not a celebration of war, but a solemn reflection on courage, sacrifice and the enduring hope for peace". The legacy of the Anzacs challenged all to reflect on "what they gave for us, but also what we are doing with the world left in our care". "Peace is not an accident. "It is built deliberately through compassion and understanding." The ceremony included Otago University Rugby Football Club members honouring former players who died in World War 1. Representatives read out the names of 20 rugby players who made the ultimate sacrifice. This included Dr George Martin Chapman, an Otago medical graduate and Varsity A stalwart who won a rugby Blue at Cambridge before serving as a medical officer on the Western Front. He was killed by a shell while tending the wounded during the Second Battle of Ypres. Harold Phillip James Childs left Knox College and the School of Mines to fight at Gallipoli, where shell wounds put him on the hospital ship Sicilia . He died aboard and was buried at sea. Major Frank Hadfield Statham studied mining and played for Varsity A. He led the 10th North Otago Company up the cliffs at Gallipoli and died of wounds at Chunuk Bair in August 1915. Lieutenant Thomas Holmes Nisbet balanced law studies with Varsity A rugby before joining the Otago Infantry Battalion. He fell at Gallipoli and now rests in No 2 Outpost Cemetery, Turkey. Robert Stanley Black played for Varsity A before touring Australia with the 1914 All Blacks. Enlisting in the Otago Mounted Rifles, he was reported missing on the Somme in northern France.
Epoch Times
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Overuse of ‘Welcome to Country' Could Cheapen Its Significance: Opposition Leader
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has spoken out about 'overdone' Indigenous Welcome to Country ceremonies in the fourth and final prime ministerial debate before the May 3 election. Speaking on the evening of April 27, Dutton was asked about a contentious episode over the long weekend during Anzac Day commemorations on April 25. Boos and heckling could be heard during a Welcome to Country being performed during the dawn service at Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance At least three men were heard interrupting as Bunurong elder Uncle Mark Brown, with police later ordering a 26-year-old man to leave the venue. Attendees reported hearing chants of, 'Don't welcome us to our country,' 'What about the Anzacs?' and 'We're here for the Australians.' Some other attendees reportedly responded by then yelling, 'Shame on you,' at the group of men, which included a self-proclaimed neo-Nazi Jacob Hersant. Related Stories 4/24/2025 4/27/2025 A similar situation occurred in Perth. Created in the 1970s, the Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country has become near-pervasive in Australian public life featuring before the start of official events, sporting events, and even on public signage. Dutton condemned the booing during the solemn Anzac ceremony, but acknowledged a growing sense of annoyance in the community with Welcome to Country ceremonies. 'For the opening of Parliament, fair enough, it's respectful to do, but for the start of every meeting at work or the start of a football game, I think a lot of Australians think it's overdone,' he told the Channel 7 debate. 'It cheapens the significance of what it was meant to do.' Prime Minister Anthony Albanese commented that he believed it was up to event organisers to decide whether or not they included a Welcome to Country ceremony. Dutton's comments echoed the sentiments of an unidentified veteran who was interviewed in the aftermath of the booing at the Melbourne ceremony. Channel Nine reporter Mark Santomartino spoke to the man at the Melbourne service who said there was a time and a place for everything. 'I have a lot of veteran mates who haven't come today solely because of the Welcome to Country because our friends died for this country, for this soil, and for them the 'welcome' is a slap in the face,' he told the reporter. 'It's not right to welcome veterans ... just listen to all the people that have died for this country, for them to 'welcome' us in this country is disrespectful.' People First Party Leader Gerard Rennick also spoke out against the inclusion of the Welcome to the Country ceremony at Anzac Day events. 'It is disrespectful to our veterans and must stop. 'We are there to pay our respects to those who served our country and remember their sacrifices.'
