ANZAC DAY 2023

This year two of our head students Arwin Viduya and Karlia Taylor spoke at the Anzac Day Memorial service held at Tauranga Memorial Park. They spoke brilliantly and we were very proud of them. You can read their speeches below:

Karlia Taylor

I volunteered to speak here today because both my Great Great Grandfathers had fought in World War I and II. This was an opportunity to learn the real impact these wars had on my family and thousands of others. I recently looked through photos, letters, medals, and notebooks my family has kept from the wars. I was surprised at how different the lives people lived were. Their biggest worry was not whether they would pass their essay, it was if their previous conversation would be their last. It has allowed me to connect with past generations of my family and our country in a deep and personal way.

My great great grandfather, Henry George Burton, whose medals I wear today, fought towards the end of World War I by putting his age up. In World War II, he served with the 25th Battalion, but this time he had a wife and four children, one being my great grandad. I am grateful I will never feel the fear and uncertainty my great grandad felt wondering when, or if, his dad would come home. Today I honour the sacrifices the soldiers and their families made to allow us to live in safety and peace.

Stories of war are filled with terror and loss, but also with courage, comradery and sometimes miracles. Percy Frederick Wilson, another of my Great Great Grandfathers, was at Gallipoli. He survived being shot by a sniper as the bullet hit his ammunition belt across his chest, stopping it penetrating his body. It is important for all stories of war, both good and bad, to be shared at gatherings like these for upcoming generations. With them comes learning and gratitude. Gratitude that our lives look different to those of our ancestors, but also the understanding that it could happen again.

In New Zealand we are incredibly sheltered from the horror stories of war happening right now in places like Ukraine. Unfortunately on an international scale we are not past violence and war as a means to making something happen, but there is a balance that we must maintain between standing up for what we deem is right and compromising the lives of our people. 108 years after the ANZACs landed at Gallipoli we have the power of hindsight. We are fortunate enough to have not directly experienced the devastating impact of war. We live in a country where freedom and acceptance is more of a reality today than it has ever been before. I challenge you to use your freedom to stand up for what you believe in and to find your purpose and follow it. We owe it to those that fought, to those that lost their lives for our country, and to those that lived to see peace on the other side, but could never escape the recollection of battle and the fall of their comrades.

Today we stand together to commemorate the bravery and unity of the Australian and New Zealand Soldiers and are reminded that our history will always be an integral part of who we are as a nation.

Lest we forget.

Arwin Viduya

We are gathered here to commemorate the brave men and women of New Zealand and Australia who fought for our rights and our freedom.

Unlike some of you here, I don’t have any blood connection to Anzac. My Great Great Grandpa wasn’t a soldier nor was my Great Great Grandma a nurse. Because of this I don’t have any medals to showcase today, but that doesn’t stop me from showcasing my gratitude and respect to all the people involved on this special day.

As being a person with different blood and background to the soldiers who willingly fought with pride and bravery, some of you may be wondering what importance Anzac day has to me, if any at all. To me the importance of Anzac Day lies within the fact that our soldiers fought together, they fought in unison but most importantly they fought as Kiwis.

I believe that anyone who is proud to be a part of our beautiful culture and community deserves to be a Kiwi. New Zealand/Aotearoa is home to all of us, which is why I believe you aren’t made Kiwi by blood but instead by heart. So no matter where you’re from as long as you take pride in being a Kiwi, our soldiers fought for you.

Anzac Day is more than just buying a poppy for a gold coin donation. it’s more than just a public holiday with Anzac biscuits. To me the true importance of Anzac Day is:

The importance of remembering and recognising the great amount of pain and suffering our soldiers tolerated so we could walk freely in this country.

The importance of remembering and recognising the amount of lives we lost so we could continue to raise and bring new lives into our homes.

And the importance of remembering and recognising the amount of grief and sorrow we went through as a nation so you and I could be where we are today.

I am honoured to be speaking in front of you today as we remember our fallen soldiers. I am proud to be able to call New Zealand/Aoteroa my home but most importantly I am proud to be a Kiwi.