Anzac Day Honors the enduring sacrifices of New Zealanders
E te ti, e te ta, e nga mana, e nga reo, e nga rangatira, Tē na koutou, tē na koutou, tē na tatou katoa.
On Anzac Day we remember the thousands of New Zealanders who lost their lives in two World Wars, and in all conflicts since.
The human cost of these losses is far higher however, and extends far beyond the battlefields of Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region; it has extended into our homes and communities, and over generations.
Over the past 18 months, I have visited numerous halls around the region. Each has its own Roll of Honour on the walls, and I read and reflect on the names of those from our region. Those who bravely, and maybe bullishly, headed away to the war, were soon to be confronted by the gruesome reality of the front line.
On many of the Rolls of Honour, there are incidences of the same surname, sometimes even five or six; how profoundly some families were affected by the loss of multiple sons, brothers, and cousins.
History tells us that the rural community was hit hardest. The situation became so bad during World War I that skilled farm workers were exempted from the draft in 1917, such was the rate of enlistment of young rural men. In rural occupations especially, women - often family members rather than paid workers took on greater workloads.
There was also a social divide, with over 18,000 farmers and farm labourers enlisting compared with 5543 clerks, 1526 railway workers and fewer than 300 lawyers and dentists.
Abraham Lincoln once said, “There is nothing good about war, except its ending.”
As we gather today to pay tribute to those brave New Zealanders who gave their lives in service of their country, let us hope and pray that the current conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East end soon, and that there can indeed be peace again in our time.
Ka maumahara tonu tā tou ki a rā tou – we will remember them.