ANZAC DAY.

Shannon News, 27 April 1923, Page 3

ANZAC DAY.

♦- SHANNON'S CELEBRATION. The Anzac Commemoration service was held in the Maoriland Theatre on Wednesday, the building being wellfilled. The service was conducted by the Revs. Abbott (Anglican), Miiiifle (Methodist) and Stewart (Presbyterian). The service opened with the singing of the National Anthem, after which the Rev. Minifle/ledin prayer, the congregation then singing the hymn “Oh God, our Help in Ages Past.” The Scripture reading by Rev. Mlnifie was from the 90th Psalm. After the singing of the hymn “For all Thy Saints who from their labour rest,” file Rev. Stewart followed with a Scripture reading.

The Rev. Abbott then addressed the congregation duiring which he stated the 25th April had been appropriately set apart as a day of national commemoration, mainly because of the feat <jf arms of which the day spoke, but also for those brave men wlho gave their all, not only on Gallipoli but on the battle fields in France and Palestine and so paid th.e penalty of war.” Gratefully and reverently we pay this day our tribute to those who died in battle. In silence we stand and honour them ; in speech and song we give thanks for their devotion to God and King and country. It would he unnatural and untrue to claim for all who gave their lives in their country’s cause, the character of, stainless purity. They were manly sons of a great Empire, they were brave Slid buoyant with plenty of the faults and failures which so often go with high spirits. This day is appropriately called Anzac for on the 25th April e'ight years ago, in the grey dawn of St. Mark’s Day, the men of Australia and New Zealand achieved one of the greatest feats of arms in the annals of military history—when the open boats poured out their men on toe beach—below perpendicular cliffs of tangled scrub, o many expert eyes the task of breasting those heights, looked a sheer impossibility, but by the dauntless gallantry of brave men, the impossible feat was accomplished, and the record of those hours and of the days which followed is now a portion of our Empire’s history for ever. It was not done by a product of the long discipline-of some veteran corps of soldiers, but mainly the achievement of men, from various portions in Australia ’and New Zealand, who a few short months before had no dream of warfare. The landing of Australian and New Zealand forces on "Gallipoli, on April 25, 1915, and the word Anzac will take its place m the dictionary of English language. The boys and girls in a hundred years’ time will find that word and will be able to analyse it and no doubt will be better able than we are to estinmte its value. There is no braver story in the annals of war and an Australian poet very fitly 'said regarding our fallen sons:— ( v “Sound the last, post of the dead, Drop a tear mid the fallen tears; 1 lie bays on each hero’s head Shall be green for a thousand years. The speaker then paid a tribute to the brave women in the sinking of the hospital ship Marquette, who refused assistance and said “Fighting men first.” He stated one writer reminded his readers of'the national heroes whom they loved to honour and h# bids them to remember what those men witnessed and to remember that they had borne witness time alter time to one great Presence in tueir lives, one great Principle guiding tne’ r conduct. That Presence, that Principle is yours. We have those witnesses iii a sense around about us now. Scattered alt over the world are thousands of men and women who speak our language and who are akin to us. Many of these rejoit'e to call themselves our fellow subjects but even those like Americans who have tneir ; own independent Government, remembr that there were times when their ancestors and oars worked side by side in English towns and fought side by side for faith and freedom. The great English speaking race whose blood flows hi our veins numbers nearly one-tenth of all the people of the world. What makes a race great is not numbers but character. At the conclusion of the address the congregation stood in silence. Tne Rev. Stewart followed with prayer, after which the hymn “Onward, Christian Soldiers” was sung by Hie congregation, the service being brought to a close with the Benediction.

At the local School previous to the service at the hall the Mayor (Mr Murdoch) 0 addressed the scholar*- on the significance of the anniversary they were celebrating that day. After the singing of the National Anthem and .“Rule Britannia” the. children were marched to the hall were they took part in the service.