Today we remember all those who have died in the service of their country, and hoping for lasting peace among nations.

I was honoured to take part in the Remembrance Day Ceremony at the Adamstown War Memorial this morning. It was good to be with Gerard Williams, Father Chris Bird SSC, and other representatives from the local community, and we were all inspired by Lieutenant Emma Watson.



"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them."

At 11 am on 11 November 1918 the guns on the Western Front fell silent after more than four years of continuous warfare. The allied armies had driven the German invaders back, having inflicted heavy defeats upon them over the preceding four months. In November the Germans called for an armistice (suspension of fighting) in order to secure a peace settlement. They accepted allied terms that amounted to unconditional surrender.

The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month attained a special significance in the post-war years. The moment when hostilities ceased on the Western Front became universally associated with the remembrance of those who had died in the war. This first modern world conflict had brought about the mobilisation of over 70 million people and left between 9 and 13 million dead, perhaps as many as one-third of them with no known grave. The allied nations chose this day and time for the commemoration of their war dead.

For more information visit the Australian War Memorial's website.

Watch a video of the Poppies display on the Sydney Opera House.



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