Lest We Forget

April 29, 2021

Another Anzac Day has passed – each one unique in the way it observes the contributions of Australians and New Zealanders…

Another Anzac Day has passed – each one unique in the way it observes the contributions of Australians and New Zealanders who have served their nations in war, conflict or peace-keeping operations. Last year, this occurred via my driveway and this year, I found myself at Webb Park with a number of our Boarders and Boarding staff, ‘lighting up the dawn’ and marking the occasion via a pre-recorded RSL service. It wasn’t the Dawn Service that I have attended religiously for so many years, but it was an important commemorative gesture, nonetheless. On Friday, our whole school had joined on the lawn adjacent to the Performing Arts Building for an Anzac commemoration. Such occasions are powerful – they demand our silence and our attention, and they require us to pause and earmark history: lest we forget.


Rightly or wrongly, I always find myself drawn back in my thinking to Gallipoli, such has been the impact of that narrative upon the way I consider Anzac Day. In 2013 I was privileged to travel to Gallipoli, albeit via an interminably long bus trip with a Turkish tour guide who was trying to present a palatable version of events to tourists of different nationalities and different national allegiances. He tried. So too did the Spanish tourist who must have inadvertently joined the tour without knowledge of Gallipoli nor sufficient English to process the volumes of information being shared over the course of that long day.


It is impossible not to be moved by the landscape of Gallipoli – particularly, the diminutive size of the beach landing site or The Nek (of Mel Gibson fame) where nearly 350 Western Australians became casualties in just a few minutes on a battlefield similar in size to a Netball court. Lone Pine also, is small and whilst the name looms largely in narratives about Anzac Day it appears almost vulnerable at its location. One can see from the beach, the second ridge where the Australians were ordered to stop for morning tea. Nine months and 8000 deaths later, they had travelled little distance beyond this point.


But what moved me most profoundly at Gallipoli was seeing the healing words of Ataturk that were attributed to him in 1934 and carved for posterity into marble at Anzac Cove. These beautifully-crafted words (though not without some contention about who the target audience was) form the open letter he allegedly wrote to the mothers of the Australian, New Zealand, Canadian and British soldiers who had died on the Gallipoli battlefields:


Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives… You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore, rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours... You, the mothers who sent their sons from faraway countries, wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.



So, a war narrative can also be read, to some extent, as a peace narrative, and for those who have travelled to Turkey you will know the high regard in which Aussies are considered by so many locals. Irrespective of whether these words were directed to mothers or were merely part of a hastily written speech by Ataturk, delivered by one of his ministers, at Gallipoli in 1934 as a gesture of reconciliation with the (then) British Empire, is a matter for historians. For me, it is an olive branch of sorts, one that sits awkwardly juxtaposed against the detritus of a battle that was ill-conceived, poorly executed, and hauntingly catastrophic.


Forgiveness, reconciliation and clemency are tough concepts for all of us and if this Ataturk gesture has a mythological basis, I’m still keen to honour whatever threads of truth are weft within his words, etched in marble at Anzac Cove. Because, I am ever reminded of the words of First World War I British poet, Wilfred Owen, who warned against us glorifying the myth of war in his epic work: ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’. Instead, may we value peace and reconciliation as ideals for which to strive…

Lest we forget, this Anzac Day and all that are to follow.



Dr Linda Evans | Principal



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What inspired you to apply for the Prefect for Sport position? I was inspired to go for this position as I have seen the passion that Fairholme as a community has for sport, and the true love and respect the staff have for athletes at the college. I wanted to work closely with the girls and staff to help progressing sport at Fairholme. Do you have a favourite sport? My favourite sport is touch football. It has given me so very much and I am forever grateful. What has been your proudest sporting moment so far? My proudest sporting moment so far was being fortunate enough to represent my country in the sport I love most. Who has been your biggest influence or role model in sport? My biggest role model in sport has to my parents. They never fail to push me towards things that might seem out of my comfort zone or scary. They constantly support me through everything and influence me to be the best version of myself on and off the field. What are you hoping to achieve this year as Prefect for Sport? I aim to inspire everyone to just have a go. By the end of my final year at Fairholme I hope I can inspire people to just get o ut of their comfort zones and try something new. What advice would you give your Year 7 self? I would tell my Year 7 self that in the big picture no one is going to judge you for trying your hardest and giving things ago! And not to put too much pressure on yourself! Do you hope to pursue sport after school? I wish to continue to play sport at a high level after school. whether that is through touch or rugby. Sport is a very important part of my life that will hopefully continue well after I leave school.

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How long have you been involved in The Arts at Fairholme? Since I began here in Year 7, but before then I started playing piano and violin in Year 5. I have participated in a number of ensembles within the school and greatly enjoyed each of these. What does being the Prefect for The Arts mean to you? Personally, I think that being the Prefect for The Arts is primarily a role in which I can help to support other girls. I’m a designated person that girls can come to if they have any questions or concerns with anything regarding extracurricular artistic involvement, and I do a little to help with running some of the artistic aspects around the school, such as finding girls to volunteer for busking at events. But mostly, I think it is about being a positive promoter for the arts, and encouraging other girls to expand their world view to include creativity. Which art form do you enjoy most (e.g. music, drama, visual art, dance etc)? My main art form that I participate in is instrumental music, through my involvement in a few ensembles within the school on violin and piano. However, other art forms, like dancing during March Pasts or singing Shine Jesus Shine are pretty fun too. Do you have a most memorable Arts experience? I think that one of the most memorable Arts experiences that I have had has been at events where I have accompanied my grade, like when all the Year 11’s last year sung at the Valedictorian dinner and I played piano along with other instrumentalists in my grade, Tilly Anderson and Emma Salter. However, I think the most enjoyable Arts experience that I have had is playing Jingle Bell Rock at the boarding Christmas dinner last year, when the rest of my cohort stood around the piano singing. I felt that this was one of those excellent examples of how music can bring people together. What advice would you give to students who might be nervous about joining an arts activity? I would say that it is always worth giving something new a go. You’re much more likely to regret the chances you never took than the ones you do. I’m a strong believer that being involved in any form of extra-curricular activity is so beneficial for everyone; it expands your world view, you meet new people, and get outside your comfort zone. Each individual has something they are good at, and how are you going to find out what that is if you don’t try? Do you hope to continue with The Arts after school? Definitely. It has become such a big part of my life, and I honestly get so much enjoyment out of it. The great thing about the arts is that they are things that you can do at any time of your life. You’re never too old, that’s a skill you have for life. Other people can also get so much enjoyment out of the artistic abilities of others. Who doesn’t love to have someone who can sit around the camp-fire and play guitar, or create a beautiful piece of artwork?
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