Capacity crowd for Anzac Day
Woy Woy Memorial Park was nearing capacity at the 10:30am Anzac Day service on Thursday, May 25.
Brisbane Water Secondary College school captains Jason Mumford and Aleisha Ford were the guest speakers at the ceremony.
Jason said it was an honour to have been asked to deliver a speech at the service.
"I have been attending Anzac services for as long as I can remember and have always seen this day as one of great inspiration, remembrance and unity.
"Each nation recognizes a past event, which would stay with them forever.
"This is our event.
"The large turnout here today is evidence itself of how close this date is to the hearts of all Australians.
"It is so encouraging seeing so many peoples, both young and old, attending this service and similar ones nationwide.
"April 25 is no longer a date on the calendar, but rather a fundamental Australian tradition.
"A celebration of the lives in which were sacrificed to allow the many freedoms we all take for granted today.
"These Anzacs, often younger then myself, saw this as an adventure.
"Always displaying the characteristics now cemented forever in this great nation.
"These young men demonstrated immense courage, commitment, endurance and of course mateship.
"Four qualities in which Australians as a whole have adopted and should continue to strive for.
"By the end of the war, one quarter of a million casualties could be counted, from a country with a small population of only five million at the time.
"To put that painfully, one in every 17 people of our total population was dead or injured as a result of the war; brothers, fathers, sons, mothers, daughters and mates.
"We must also think of their families and the pain they suffered after losing a loved one to the war, something many of us could not comprehend today.
"Their potential to further impact the world fading with them too, however, their legacy lives on.
"This is why we remember.
"By remembering we uphold everything the Anzacs stood and fought for.
"By coming together today we show our appreciation in a national unity.
"The essence of Gallipoli was that in the face of potential and likely defeat, the Australian spirit prevailed.
"Let us not celebrate the war on this day, but instead the people involved.
"We must look back with pride, but also look forward to further build on the foundations and freedoms these young Anzacs established for us all.
"Lest we forget," concluded Jason.
Email, 26 Apr 2013
Jason Mumford, Brisbane Water Secondary College