THE Rosewood State High School community commemorated Anzac Day on Friday.
Special guests on the day were Rosewood RSL representative Bernie Kington, Bendigo Rosewood and District Community Bank representative, Iris Heit and Mike Jones, who was representing Member for Ipswich West, Jim Madden.
Senior School Captains Levi Hartigan and Kaneesha Fulton, Senior School Vice Captains Ethan Ingledew and Lara Munday led the ceremony.
Junior School Captains Jayde Johnson, Haylee Colgan and Chloe Simpson also took on special roles during the ceremony.
Levi welcomed everyone to the ceremony, before the National Anthem was sung and the Acknowledgement of Country was delivered.
Levi said the Anzac Day ceremony was held in recognition of the significant contribution and sacrifices in times of war, both past and present.
“Anzac Day is when we remember all Australians who served and died in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations,” he said.
“The spirit of Anzac, with its human qualities of courage, mateship and sacrifice continues to have meaning and relevance for our sense of national identity.”
Wreaths were laid and special tributes took place before the Last Post, the Ode, a one-minute silence, the Rouse and In Flanders Field was read.
As a special tradition to the school’s ceremony, a candle lighting tribute that took place, where students were invited to the stage to light a candle and to reflect on their loved ones who had served, or who are serving in the forces.
Community Education counsellor Gloria Semple delivered a special tribute to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and woman who although were legally exempt from military service, went on to serve in World War I and II.
“Over 1,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people served in World War I and around 70 fought at Gallipoli and an estimated 3,000 Aboriginal and 850 Torres Strait Islander people served in World War II,” she said.
“But their true numbers will never be fully known, what they need most is honour, recognition and respect.”
Poems, music and film clips also caught the attention of all in attendance, before the ceremony concluded.
