As we know, yesterday was ANZAC Day and a hundred years ago the President of this Club who was standing up in front of the members, was of course General Sir John Monash.
Without General Sir John Monash we may not even have ANZAC Day and we certainly wouldn’t be celebrating it in the way that we do with the Shrine of Remembrance.
General Sir John amongst other things served at Gallipoli where of course we commemorate ANZAC Day. And twelve months after that, in Egypt, on the banks for Suez Canal, with his brigade, he commemorated the first ANZAC day by handing out ribbons to those of his brigade who were actually still there with him.
Sadly, most of his brigade was lost during the ANZAC Day battle.
Upon his return Sir John was the driver here in Melbourne to make sure that we commemorate those soldiers who are lost. The Shrine of Remembrance that we see outside of the window today wouldn’t be here without him.
So for ANZAC Day, for the Shrine of Remembrance and of course his significance within the Rotary Club of Melbourne we remember Sir John Monash.
President Adrian Nelson
Thank you to President Adrian Nelson for providing this reflection on 26 April 2023.
