NSW SCHOOL STUDENTS WALK IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF AUSTRALIAN SOLDIERS ALONG THE WESTERN FRONT A select group of twelve students from across NSW will walk in the footsteps of soldiers along the Western Front as recipients of the Premier’s ANZAC Memorial Scholarship. Minister for Citizenship and Communities Victor Dominello said the Year 10 and 11 scholars will gather at the ANZAC Memorial in Hyde Park today, to meet with the Chair of the NSW Centenary of Anzac Advisory Council General Peter Cosgrove AC MC (Retd) and discuss their important pilgrimage before heading overseas. The students will fly out later today on a 14 day pilgrimage to sites of military significance in France, Belgium and the United Kingdom. “It’s a special opportunity to pay their respects to the 46,000 Australians who were tragically killed on the Western Front,” General Cosgrove said. “In the lead up to the Centenary of the First World War (2014-2018), it is even more important that young people gain a greater understanding of the realities of war and learn more about Australia’s rich Anzac legacy,” he said. Minister Dominello said that scholars will tour sites including the Somme, Bullecourt and Fromelles battlefields and lay a wreath at the Menin Gate, where the names of 54,000 missing British and Commonwealth soldiers are recorded. “A symbolic part of the trip will see the scholars scatter the ashes of commemorative paper stars inscribed with the names of Australian casualties of the war, originally cast in tribute by visitors to the ANZAC Memorial,” Mr Dominello said. “Exploring family stories from the First World War unites young Australians by unlocking our diverse histories and shared identity. There can be no better way to commemorate our Anzacs than to walk on the battlefields they fought on. “The scholarship doesn’t end when they get off the plane, as students will continue to share their experiences and honour the Anzac legacy with their school and local community on their return home,” he said. Mr Dominello said the students were selected for their commitment to the study of Australian history and for their passion and involvement in maintaining the Anzac tradition in their communities. Two teachers were also selected to accompany the group. Before and after their trip, the scholars will play a leading role in commemorative activities at schools and memorials, as well as submitting an individual project about their experiences. PREMIER’S ANZAC MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIPS Western Front 2013 Scholars School Jack Huggart Newtown High School of Performing Arts Tahlia Jackson The Illawarra Grammar School Dominic Kingsford Trinity Catholic College, Lismore Lilly Kirkby Batlow Technology School Michael Lutton MacKillop Senior College, Port Macquarie Erin Macdonald Albury High School Tess McWade Macksville High School Thomas Mittwollen Bulli High School Sarah Morris Bossley Park High School Annabelle Murdoch Casula High School James Petty Gundagai High School Lauren Smith Dubbo School of Distance Education Teachers School Mr Bryson Coverdale, Head Teacher Lindisfarne Anglican College Ms Caitlin Morrison , History Teacher Bombala High School
Posted on: Thu, 14 Nov 2013 22:07:33 +0000
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