Friday, 9 June 2017
MEMBER for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall is calling all history buffs to be part of a program to retrace our country’s ANZAC legacy.
Six young people from across NSW will take the trip of a lifetime to historic battlefields in Greece and Israel as part of the 2017 ClubsNSW Anzac Ambassadors Program.
Mr Marshall is urging the region’s high school students to take part and enter the competition by submitting an essay on the importance of the ANZAC story for modern Australia.
“With the Centenary of Anzac, the burden now falls on our youngest generation to remember and reflect upon the sacrifice made by Australian soldiers, that’s helped to shape modern Australia,” Mr Marshall said.
“While that sacrifice may seem distant in place and time, it still represents a core part of Australia’s values and identity. By travelling to First World War battlegrounds, students can retrace the steps taken a century ago by soldiers of a similar age.
“Our region saw young people sign up to fight en masse – with iconic recruitment drives like the Kurrajongs enlisting many young men who never returned. This trip will help young people have a better understanding of why we celebrate their bravery.”
The six successful applicants will travel to Lemnos in Greece and to Israel for the centenary of the Charge of the Fourth Light Horse Brigade at Beersheba as part of a two-week tour sponsored by ClubsNSW.
Interested students should submit a 1,000-word essay on “Why is the Centenary of ANZAC important for modern Australia and what lessons are learned from the Battle of Beersheba in 1917?”.
Entries are open for students older than 16 and not yet 18 by 24 October, 2017, and submissions will be judged by a panel of MP’s, retired soldiers and Clubs NSW executives.
The group leaves Sydney on 24 October and return 5 November. For details about how to enter please visit the Clubs NSW website www.clubsnsw.com.au/anzacambassadors