Monash Deserves Greater Recognition

24 April 2007

Alert: Creator of first Anzac Service in 1916, Co-founder of Melbourne's Shrine

Monash of Jerilderie and Melbourne Deserves Greater Recognition

Speaking on the eve of Anzac Day in Auckland, Chair of Tourism Australia Tim Fischer said that General Sir John Monash did much as an Engineer and an extraordinary General, but also he initiated and conducted the first Anzac Day Service complete with Last Post, in the open alongside the Suez Canal.

"With the then Prince of Wales present and the Commander of the New Zealand Military Force General John Godley, one year on from the Gallipoli landing John Monash held a short and dignified service using a format that has become the core of Anzac Day Services," Mr. Fischer said.

"Whilst there was a scattering of Services earlier that day in New Zealand and Australia, later in the day at Cairo and London, these were in the main Church Services and arguably slightly different from the all embracing Military and Community Anzac Day Service that dominates today.

"Monash was one Officer who learnt much at Gallipoli, as Fourth Brigade Commander as his team faced dire straits near Lone Pine. As always he had an eye for and concern for his troops, he broke the mould in communicating battle orders through the ranks. In the hot afternoon of that first Anzac Day one year on in 1916, he arranged for everyone to go and have a swim in the Suez Canal.

"It is worth quoting his own diary relating to that day, as recorded in Serle's Biography on Monash: "I turned out the whole Brigade... at 0645 in the morning. Every man who had served on Gallipoli wore a blue ribbon on the right breast, and every man who had taken part in the historic landing on 25 April 1915 wore a red ribbon also...We then had a short but very dignified service."

Mr Fischer added a fine tradition was established from that day onwards around the World, including Dawn Services and Twilight Services, with the Public Holiday being declared by Governments in the 1920s.

"After World War One, Monash also found time to out manoeuvre some opposition who favoured a Cenotaph and Square in front of the Spring Street Parliament in Melbourne, to secure approval for the Great Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance. He chaired the Shrine Committee.

"John Monash, who went to school for a period in Jerilderie in the Riverina, where allegedly he met Ned Kelly doing some banking business in 1878, was a truly great General. In fact former British PM Anthony Eden got one thing right when he said of Monash there was no greater soldier in World war One.

Mr. Fischer said the feats of Monash should be more widely known and recognised on both sides of the Tasman.

ENDS

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