Remembrance Day

On Tuesday 11 November, my peers and I were provided with the opportunity to witness the Remembrance Day service in person at the Shrine of Remembrance. Although many of us had been to the Shrine of Remembrance multiple times before this day, many of us had never actually attended the Remembrance Day service physically. 

The ceremony celebrates and acknowledges the sacrifices made by Australian people in conflicts and those who continue to serve in the Australian Armed Forces, this includes the World Wars and also many subsequent conflicts such as the Vietnam War, Korean War and War in Afghanistan.

In remembering the people who were involved in these conflicts, a minute of silence was observed at 11:00 am to 11:01 am, this minute was commenced by the fire of a loud cannon and concluded by the fire of this very same cannon. After this, many significant members of the public such as the Governor and Premier Jacinta Allan were invited to lay wreaths on the steps of the Shrine, this opportunity was then expanded to the rest of the public in which two representatives from Nossal High School laid a wreath in commemoration of all involved in conflict and peacekeeping efforts for Australia.

After the end of the ceremony, my peers and I were given a guided tour of the Shrine of Remembrance by volunteer tour guides. They explained the conditions of the Wars and delved upon the advancement of technology through years of wars. Our tour guide Brian corroborated with us the evolution of Plastic surgery during WW2 due to the influx of facial burns experienced by soldiers in the battlefield. It was refreshing to hear that War also forges the way for positive changes to our world instead of the more prominent grief and bloodshed caused by events of warfare.

We personally enjoyed this opportunity especially before our humanities exam to learn about the significance of the conflicts and missions Australia has been part of and would definitely recommend this experience for anyone who is offered to see the Remembrance Day service in person. 

This event serves as a testament to the great amount of effort our Humanities teachers have put into enriching our learning through various practical learning excursions along with the extensive curriculum they have taught us throughout the year in Year 10 Humanities.

By Upraj Gill