ANZAC Day commemoration and reflections from an expeditioner

ANZAC Day 2023

On Tuesday the 25th of April, we stood down from our regular station activities to commemorate all who have served this country, both in peacetime and in conflict. We remembered the fallen, and all who sacrificed in so many ways.

With the weather outside preventing a dawn service, we reverted to plan B and conducted the service in the ‘Walllow’ area of our home here at Casey Station, the Redshed. We commenced shortly before dawn with a reminder by our MC for the day, Red Hastings of just why we pause on this day, and how we forged our very close ties with New Zealand through the horror encountered on the beach at Gallipoli 108 years ago.

Following on from Red’s poignant speech, we had readings of ‘In Flanders Fields’ and ‘My Boy Jack’ by Adrian Singh and Tim Harris. A very emotive ANZAC Day address was then delivered by our Station Leader, Ben Patrick, who served on operations with the Australian Army in Afghanistan and East Timor. Ben related to us through associations and personal experience, not just the toll that war can take on those who sacrifice to serve, but also those loved ones who support our service people from home. It is important to recognise this contribution, and also to acknowledge the impact felt when people don’t come home, or are changed forever through their experiences. As Ben said in his closing statement, “there is nothing glorious about war”.

At the conclusion of the service we commenced a ‘Gunfire Breakfast’, with all the classic fare on offer including lamingtons, meat pies, and of course ANZAC biscuits. Whilst eating and chatting amongst our winter family, we displayed a slide show containing images provided by serving and ex-serving members of the Casey Station contingent of 2022/23. Once our appetites had been satisfied it was time for the game that is legal for just the one day of the year – Two-up! Special money (Casey Dollars) was minted for the occasion, but you would’ve thought there was a lot more on the line with the ‘energy’ on display around the ring! We are easily entertained…

The day, and indeed the energy, continued in the bar (Splinters) with a BBQ lunch and side servings of inter-service banter (Army v Navy). I was pretty outnumbered being the only Navy Veteran! The traditional AFL and Rugby League matches were broadcast on the big screen, and a movie marathon ran next door in the theatre (Odeon) with appropriate ANZAC Day films.

It is evident that the mateship and camaraderie that was so strong with the ANZACs is alive and well here at Casey. We have become a family, and we most certainly have each other’s backs.

In closing I would like to acknowledge the veterans that make up part of this incredible group of people here at Casey (including our departed summer crew), and thank them for their service.

Ben Patrick (Station Leader), Dr Jan Wallace, Adrian Singh, Red Hastings, Jack McLeod, Bruce Dening, Dave Minchin, Dean Ahern, Dan Atwater, Andrew Boettcher, Rachel Presser, Simo Porter, Marc Ware, Charlton Clark and all the ADF contingent that supported us over the summer period.

Lest we forget.

“Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” John Stuart Mill, 1867

- Bruce Dening, BOM Observer/Technician and RAN veteran

Three flag poles occupy the main part of the photo, with flags at half mast, and a light orange sunset in the background. The flags are all Australian, with the left one being white for the Navy, the centre one is the dark blue Australian Flag, and the right hand flag is light blue for the Airforce. The flag poles are mounted on a snow covered rocky hill and the sky is partly cloudy.
Six people in suits, with one lady wearing a long black dress, stand side-by-side in front of a red steel building. The people all have red poppy badges on their clothing and some have service medals of various colours. There is a full cover of snow on the ground, also built up against the side of the building.
This photo shows a tray of small meat pies cooling in the kitchen.
A large square table with a white tablecloth occupies the foreground of this photo. The table is covered in platters of biscuits, lamingtons, and pies. There is a man in a dark blue suit to the right of table, placing food from the table onto his plate. Two groups of four people each are in the background chatting, all are dressed formally.
This photo is a close up shot of the official programme front cover. The paper is a faded yellow parchment style, with the words "Casey Station, ANZAC Day, Tuesday 25 April 2023" next to a picture of four red poppies. Below these words is a photograph from World War One of a line of soldiers in silhouette, marching along a ridge line.
The cenotaph for our inside service. It is an Army slouch hat, resting atop an ice-pick. The pick is inserted into a black plant pot filled with white stones, and is sitting on a low round table with a black table cloth covering it. There is a small glass container with sand from the beach at Gallipoli sitting in front of the plant pot. On the ground in front of the table are two green circular wreaths, with red poppies on them. The background is the Australian Flag, hanging from the stairs that are out of view above.
Five men are standing around a circle of yellow rope laid out on the brown carpet. One man has a small wooden paddle in his hand and there is a coin in the centre of the shot, on the ground. The men are in excited, animated poses, focused on the coin.
A man in blue jeans and a grey shirt is standing inside a yellow rope circle, on brown carpet. He has a small wooden paddle in his hand and his arm is raised high, sending two coins (not in frame) high into the air. Another man is in the background, captured in an excited pose, one hand flat on his forehead as he wills the coins to land on heads. The Australian and NZ flags hang in the background.
A man in a white shirt and dark grey vest holds a fake money note above his head, hoping for the coins to land on heads. He is staring intently to the left of the photo, where the two-up ring is located out of frame. In the blurred background stands another man also focused on the out of frame action.
A line of approximately 20 people, all dressed formally, stand facing the left of frame, most with their hands clasped together in front of them and holding small paper programmes. In the background are the flags of the Torres Strait Islands, Aboriginal, New Zealand, and Australia, hanging side-by-side from the ceiling.
The cenotaph for our inside service. It is an Army slouch hat, resting atop an ice-pick. The pick is inserted into a black plant pot filled with white stones, and is sitting on a low round table with a black table cloth covering it. There is a small glass container with sand from the beach at Gallipoli sitting in front of the plant pot. On the ground in front of the table are two green circular wreaths, with red poppies on them. The background is the White Australian Navy Flag, the Australian Flag, and the light blue Airforce Flag hanging side-by-side from the stairs above.
A man in a dark grey suit, with medals of various colours on his left chest, stands looking at a sheet of paper in his right hand. He is in the middle of speaking to the station crew who are out of frame to the left.
Three flag poles occupy the main part of the photo, with flags at half mast. There is a group of 13 people standing in front of the flags and facing the camera. The flags are all Australian, with the right hand one being white for the Navy, the centre one is the dark blue Australian Flag, and the left hand flag is light blue for the Airforce. The flag poles are mounted on a snow covered rocky hill and the sky is partly cloudy.

Weathering the Storm

Here sits the weathered rock,
How many eons has it survived?
How many millennia ground down by the glaciers?
Now exposed and naked, blasted by the wind and ice.
And yet it stands.
Here sits this weathered man,
Staring from his window at the rock through the haze of howling wind,
It’s outline barely visible as the gale punishes the rock for daring to encroach the sky.
Will it remember him after he is gone? A mere blip in the immense existence of the rock.

Redmond Hastings

Dieso, Casey Station 2023

Low jagged black rocks stretch across the frame from left to right. They protrude shallowly from the snow filling the rest of the photo. The wind is sweeping snow across the rocks from the left.
The lower half of this photo is calm glassy dark grey water, reflecting the cloud filled sky above. Across the centre of the photo is some low rocky snow covered hills. The sunlight filtering through the clouds gives the scene a light purple-grey colour.
Snow covered rocky hills stretch from the bottom of frame to the centre. The bright yellow-orange sun sits just above the horizon, with thin yellow beams extending out from its centre into the clear blue sky.
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