Major General Anthony Rawlins, DSC, AM, was the guest speaker at the 2019 ANZAC Service of Commemoration.
Major General Rawlins is the Deputy Chief of Army whose roles, over the past 33 years, have included Commander of the 7th Brigade, and Director General, Military Strategic Commitments as well as placements in Lebanon, Iraq and Israel.
His powerful address to Senior School students reflected on, not only on the meaning of ANZAC Day, but also on the importance of service more generally. “ANZAC Day is not about celebrating the victory of war, it never has been and never will be,” he said. “It’s about our uncovering and celebrating the human spirit, and recognising, in our small measures, that there is meaning and value in human endeavour.”
Major General Rawlins reminded students of the importance of striving to contribute to their community. “The spirit, the courage, the resolve, the dedication, and the selflessness that individuals use to further strengthen our society and improve the quality of life that you and your loved ones enjoy is not an immediate resident in military uniform,” he said. “It is perhaps more powerfully resident in the uniform you are all wearing today.”
“Melbourne Grammar School has a rich and proud history of generating young men who have served this nation extraordinarily well,” Major General Rawlins stated. “Not just in military service but across all fields of endeavour that strengthen the fabric and fibre of our community.”
“The fortune and success of a great nation like ours is built on the individual deeds and attributes of students like you,” he said.
