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Battle for Australia Association
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The 2023 Battle for Australia Commemoration was held in beautiful conditions. It was great to be able to gather again with our fellow citizens and mark that time in 1942-45 when our nation was threatened by foreign invasion. The commemoration was notable for the Acknowledgement of Country speech by Lachlan Youll, the prayers by Geoffrey Usher, musical contributions by the NSW Police Band and soloist, and the Sydney Women's Vocal Orchestra, the catafalque party provided by HMAS Kuttabul; and the rather good keynote address by Lieutenant Colonel Jill Smith. Our MC Dr Darren Mitchell OAM again excelled himself as did Junior Legatee Kelly Randall in reciting the ode.
Those who made it to the luncheon in the Fullerton Hotel enjoyed good company.
A great commemoration, hope you will look for us when the Oration is published in February 2024 and we again commemorate the saviours of our nation in September 2024.
Vale Major General Warren Glenny AO RFD ED
It is with great sadness that the Battle for Australia Day Association (NSW) extends our sympathy to the family, friends and former colleagues of Past President Major General Warren Glenny AO RFD ED who passed away in July. There was a special tribute to Major General Glenny at the Cenotaph Ceremony.
The buttons below permit you to download a copy of Colonel Smith's Speech, her short Bio, and the event Programme.
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Please note that in the video above the animation and underwater video - is provided to Heritage NSW "courtesy: Dr Matt Carter, ARCHAEOTecnic and Tempus Archaeology".
The seventh annual Battle for Australia Oration was delivered at the Royal Automobile Club, Sydney on Friday 17 February 2023. The Oration is held each year to mark the occasion in the Second World War when Prime Minister John Curtin coined the phrase "Battle for Australia" in communicating to all Australians the dangers that lay ahead, following the Fall of Singapore.
The 2023 Battle for Australia Oration was presented by Mr Tim Smith OAM. His Oration, "The Battle for Sydney and the M24 Submarine in Sydney Waters: Recovering an Australia-Japan Shared Site of Wartime Heritage", considers the archaeological and commemorative significance of the 2006 discovery of the wreck of the M24, one of the Japanese submarines which penetrated Sydney Harbour in 1942: what has been revealed about its mission objectives and the possible fate of the crew in their final hours, as well as how the interests of the Japanese and Australian Governments have been recognised in the protection of human remains and spiritual values of this unique shared heritage site.
Mr Smith is the NSW M24 submarine site manager and the NSW Government's senior Maritime Archaeologist. Intimately involved in ongoing protection of M24 since its 2006 discovery, Mr Smith is an internationally recognised expert in submarine archaeology. He currently serves as Director, Assessments at Heritage NSW (the State Government's heritage agency) having previously served as Director of Heritage Victoria in Melbourne. He is also regarded internationally for his volunteer work on the discovery of Australia's submarine AE1 (1914) off New Guinea; the AE2 Foundation's work at the AE2 (1915) submarine site in Turkish waters; and the underwater survey of ANZAC Cove in Turkiye.
Mr Smith has received a UNESCO Award of Distinction for heritage management, and an Order of Australia (OAM) in 2017 for service to government heritage administration, volunteering, and maritime heritage.
Further Reading
Tim provided us with the following papers for online publication, just select the link to download:
Smith Tim - M24 Preliminary Archaeological Survey Report 2007
Smith Tim AIMIA bulletin - Managing the missing Japanese midget submarine M24 2008
At the Presentation
