Combined Rotary Clubs of Wagga Wagga 2024 Peace Day Ceremony Speech
Thank you Emily (Bosco, MC).
I have been asked to read the Declaration of Peace and do so now.
“We hearby pledge to each other to promote ‘peace, understanding and goodwill’ between people residing here and in communities around the world, by making the following resolutions:
Share our time and material resources in a spirt of generosity to put an end to exclusion, injustice and political and economic oppression;
Defend freedom of expression and cultural diversity giving preference always to dialogue and listening rather than fanaticism, defamation and rejection of others.”
As the Federal Member for Riverina and also the Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific, it is my honour and privilege to be here this morning.
Thank you Aunty Joycelan Williams for your welcome to Wiradjuri country.
Yindyamarra — Respect.
Noble words.
I will start my acknowledgments with the most important attendees … the school children of Wagga Wagga.
For it is they who must and who will carry the peace torch and ensure its legacy burns brightly for all to see in the future.
Boys and girls, thank you for taking on that important role.
To State Member Dr Joe McGirr, Mayor of Wagga Wagga, Councillor Dallas Tout and his wife Janine, Rotarians especially Area Governor Garth Perkin and Past District Governors* Fred Loneragan and Gary Roberts, club presidents, Rotarians all, Veterans and current serving personnel, ladies and gentlemen …
We are fortunate to live in a city where all three arms of the defence have a strong presence – Air Force, Army and Navy.
The price of peace is eternal vigilance.
Thanks to those in uniform who keep us safe.
Thank you to the combined Rotary clubs of Wagga Wagga, especially David Payne and staff of our City Council for today’s arrangements.
Franz Stigler was a fighter pilot and fighter ace for Nazi Germany in World War II.
He flew 487 combat missions, downing 28 planes whilst himself being shot down 17 times – just think about that – 17 times … he bailed out six times and landed in a damaged place on the other 11 occasions.
Five days before Christmas 1943 and in the skies over Germany and German-occupied territory, First Lieutenant Stigler encountered a B-17F Flying Fortress piloted by American Charlie Brown.
Stigler was returning from a successful bomb run on Bremen and had already shot down two B-17s that day.
Lining up to finish the bomber, he noticed the tail gunner never moved the guns.
Getting closer, he saw straight through gaping holes in the fuselage and noticed a frantic crew doing their best to save the lives of their fellow airmen.
Can somebody grab those flags, it's important we have flags standing as they should. (A flag stand, containing several flags of countries, having fallen over). We don't like flags on the ground. Thanks Trevor (Webb).
Stigler motioned to Brown to land his airplane in neutral Sweden due to the extensive damage.
However, Brown didn't understand and opted to keep flying towards England.
Stigler escorted the B-17 and its crew to the North Sea coast, protecting it from German anti-aircraft gunners (who recognised the silhouette of his BF-109 and held fire) by keeping close near Brown's plane in close formation on the bomber's port side wing.
Once they were over water, Stigler saluted Brown, then left to return to base.
Brown managed to fly the 400 kilometres across the North Sea and land his plane at Royal Air Force Seething, home of the 448th Bomb Group.
In 1986, the retired Lt Colonel Brown was asked to speak at a combat pilot reunion event called a "Gathering of the Eagles" at the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.
Someone asked him if he had any memorable missions to which he regaled the story of the Bf-109 escort and pilot's salute.
Afterwards, Brown decided he should try to find the unknown German pilot who saved the life of him and his crew.
In 1990, Brown and Stigler finally renewed acquaintances.
It was a happy reunion.
They became firm friends and remained so until they died, within months of one another, in 2008.
That, my friends, is truly the power of peace … firstly over war-torn Europe in the darkest days of the deadliest conflict humankind has ever known, and later when they got to know one another.
Closer to home, the hand of friendship extended by the community of Cowra to the Japanese has been heart-warming and a shining example of the importance of peace.
The break-out of Japanese internees from their Cowra compound in the early hours of 5 August 1944 resulted in 234 Japanese being killed and 108 wounded as well as three Australians losing their lives.
After the terrible treatment of Australian soldiers and nurses in the Pacific theatre of war after the fall of Singapore, the willingness by Australia – and Cowra in particular – to extend the olive branch to Japan has been both inspirational and remarkable.
Doubtless there are countless other tales of people, in war-time situations, putting compassion and peace above all else.
It is a triumph of the human spirit.
We live in a troubled world.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine entered its third year yesterday.
Australia stands in solidarity with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
We will continue to do what we can to help repel this illegal and immoral attack by the bully Vladimir Putin.
We need Peace in our World, Peace in our Community, Peace in our Hearts.
What a wonderful vision and objective that is.
You saw the late Tony Quinlivan coming well before he arrived and those who knew him will know what I mean.
His flaming red hair was one aspect of Tony that made him stand out.
But he was very much a man of presence.
Of stature.
A statesman.
A thinker.
A peacemaker.
A doer.
I knew him well.
He was persuasive.
I was editor of The Daily Advertiser at the time and I know just how convincing he could be.
He was a mover and shaker.
Even Mother Teresa was on board for his novel push for peace.
The Peace City idea was Tony’s initiative.
He thought of it and he drove it and drove it hard.
Life had not always been kind to Tony.
He and wife Patricia lost a little girl, Carlene, to asthma at 13 years young.
Tony devoted much of his time promoting asthma awareness.
He was determined to also promote peace – here, across the nation and throughout the world.
On Tuesday 23 February 1993, Wagga Wagga became the world’s first Rotary Peace City.
The movement has since gone global.
The magnificent monument dedicated to this international symbol for our city was unveiled by president of Rotary International in 1988-89 and the then vice-chairman of the Rotary Foundation Trustees, Royce Abbey OAM.
In his speech on the day, quoted in The Daily Advertiser because peace should be front page news, Mr Quinlivan said this:
“I feel this is a start of a project to help create peace in the world through the efforts of Rotary International.
“World peace is not a dream.
“Peace begins with us by reaching out to our neighbours, by opening our hearts and bridging the differences between people and communities.
“Today, February 23, is Rotary World Understanding and Peace Day – a day to celebrate the Rotary Foundation and Rotary International’s achievements in the area of world understanding and peace through international charitable and education programs.
“My vision is just another branch of the peace tree and that is to have the peace symbol accepted by Rotary International and this day set aside each year as a special fund-raising day throughout the world for all Rotary clubs to raise money for victims of wars and disasters.”
If only Tony were alive to see how his dream has been realised.
Tony passed away in 2015, aged 83.
For many years he ran a successful men’s wear shop in Fitzmaurice Street in the same block where a business in recent months has been displaying disgraceful anti-Israel posters in the wake of the 7 October attacks by the terrorist group Hamas.
Tony would be delighted with the progress of his peace city project but dismayed and disappointed with the anti-Semetic signs in this Wagga Wagga shopfront.
This, and the way a veterans’ event in this very park was ambushed just last Sunday, is not promulgating peace.
Our ageing veterans – heroes all – who fought so we could live free, get very few days in the year on which to commemorate their service and sacrifice and those are days no group should hijack with political protests or by flying any flag other than our national red, white and blue ensign.
We all want peace in the Middle East.
No more bloodshed.
Palestinian babies are as innocent as Israeli babies and tragically too many from both sides have been unfairly caught up in this.
But before peace can occur there, Hamas must realise this and release the more than 150 Israeli hostages it holds, dismantle its terrorist organisation and its leaders must be brought to justice for the atrocities committed.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls … peace everywhere is possible.
Franz Stigler, who would have been executed on the spot if the Germans found out what he did, proved anything is possible if you put your heart and mind to it.
Let us all commit to being the best version of ourselves and start, individually and collectively, doing what we can to ensure Tony Quinlivan’s incredible legacy is perpetuated.
It starts today. In our homes, schools, workplaces, in our hearts, our community, our world … in this park.
May peace and goodwill be with you all.
*John Egan, District Governor in 2007-08, was also in attendance.