Moving Tributes at Annual ANZAC Commemoration Ceremony

Plumpton High School’s annual ANZAC Day assembly took place on the 9th of April, 2024. The assembly was streamed to classes from 7-10 and was watched live by years 11- 12 in the GWS. The students and teachers of Plumpton High School remembered and paid tribute to all current and former members of the Australian Defence Force, those lost in training, on operations, the wounded, injured and ill. Most importantly, we as a school community remembered and commemorated the 109th anniversary of the landing of the Anzac troops at Gallipoli, which was the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War.

We would like to thank our distinguished guests who attended this very solemn and moving assembly: Mr Edmond Atalla MP, State Member for Mount Druitt; Councillor Bob Fitzgerald, OAM; Mr Alf Davey President of the Rooty Hill RSL Sub-branch; Mr Alex Mangion, member of the Rooty Hill RSL Sub-branch; Mrs Maureen Larkin, Principal of Plumpton Public School and PPS Captains; Uncle Charlie Mundine, former Sergeant of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in the Australian Army.

We would also like to acknowledge our guest speaker, Mr Alf Davey whose moving and inspirational speech was about honouring and remembering the Anzacs and the importance of Anzac Day.

We also thank Ms Gonzaga and her choral group who sang a beautiful and touching rendition of “Abide with me”.

To quote former Prime Minister Paul Keating in his speech for the unknown soldier, which was played in the ANZAC assembly:

" The Unknown Soldier honours the memory of all those men and women who laid down their lives for Australia. His tomb is a reminder of what we have lost in war and what we have gained. We have lost more than 100,000 lives, and with them all their love of this country and all their hope and energy. We have gained a legend: a story of bravery and sacrifice and with it a deeper faith in ourselves and our democracy, and a deeper understanding of what it means to be Australian."

Lest We Forget.