ANZAC Destiny

It’s strange how the time and place of your birth can influence your destiny. Ponder for a moment what it would have been like to be born at a time that saw a fledging federation of Australia emerge in the early 20th century.

Imagine living in a time where communication was mainly face to face or by letters written in ink – no mobile phones, no internet, no television. Life was harder, without all the modern conveniences of now, and some would argue that life was much simpler. Nationalism and patriotism were in their infancy. At this time Australia was still tied to the umbilical cord of England and lacking a truly independent identity.

It was not surprising then, that so many young men and women signed up to join the armed forces when Britain declared war in 1914. It was a time when one did not question one’s duty; one simply did what was expected. As in Alfred Lord Tennyson’s famous poem, “The Charge of the Light Brigade”, it was a different era:

"Forward, the Light Brigade!"
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Someone had blunder'd:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

In 1917, Australia had a population of a mere 5 million people, scattered over a vast landscape between rural and urban areas. The only means of international transport was a sea journey, which to Britain took two months and even transport within the country was painfully slow.

Over 60,000 men and women died in World War 1. What hopes and dreams did these 60,000 people have? What aspirations lived in their hearts for a better life for them and their families? Ross McMullin (The Weekend Australian, Review 21-22 April, 2012) wrote recently about a few of these men killed at Gallipoli.

Bob Bage, an engineer from Victoria who was an invaluable member of Douglas Mawson’s expedition to Antarctica was killed at Gallipoli, after surviving in the most terrible of circumstances in Antarctica. What might have become of this amazing man had he survived WW1?

Gordon Mathison, an internationally renowned medical scientist was fatally wounded, at 31 years of age at Gallipoli. Would he have been another great medical scientist like Professor Ian Frazer?

Alexander Turnbull, a West Australian Rhodes scholar, was another outstanding young Australian who was destined for great heights in law or politics and at 27 years of age was cut down in his prime at Gallipoli. Ted Larkin, a rugby international who was an up and rising star in politics was killed in Gallipoli aged 35. Would Turnbull and Larkin have become great politicians or Prime Ministers even? We will never know.

There are 60,000 Australian stories of lives cut short in defence of our precious country – some of these 60,000 were great people with unfulfilled destines. Many of the 60,000 though, were just ordinary people like you and me and were thrust into extraordinary circumstances by history. The time and place of their birth determined their destiny in life – to become heroes, forever immortalised by Anzac Day.

None of these people set out to be heroes. They were not particularly well trained nor particularly well resourced. They were however extraordinary men and women because they served and fought for the freedom of all Australian and New Zealanders.

60,000 Australians died in World War 1 and many more have died since protecting our freedom and way of life. Anzac Day is one special day when we honour their memory. In a way they do live on in our collective memories each year when we pause to remember them.

‘Lest We Forget’

All that remains, now that the last of the ANZACs has died, are the medals that honour their memory. This poem written by Clyde Hamilton: is a moving salute to our heroes, called:

Not a Hero


The ANZAC Day march was over - the old Digger had done his best.
His body ached from marching - it was time to sit and rest.
He made his way to a park bench and sat with lowered head.
A young boy passing saw him - approached and politely said,
"Please sir do you mind if I ask you what the medals you wear are for?
Did you get them for being a hero, when fighting in a war?"


Startled, the old Digger moved over and beckoned the boy to sit.
Eagerly the lad accepted - he had not expected this!
"First of all I was not a hero," said the old Digger in solemn tone,
"But I served with many heroes, the ones that never came home.
So when you talk of heroes, it's important to understand,
The greatest of all heroes gave their lives defending this land.


"The medals are worn in their honour, as a symbol of respect.
All diggers wear them on ANZAC Day - it shows they don't forget."
The old digger then climbed to his feet and asked the boy to stand.
Carefully he removed the medals and placed them in his hand.
He told him he could keep them - to treasure throughout his life,
A legacy of a kind - left behind - paid for in sacrifice.

Overwhelmed the young boy was speechless - he couldn’t find words to say.
It was there the old Digger left him - going quietly on his way.
In the distance the young boy glimpsed him - saw him turn and wave goodbye.
Saddened he sat alone on the bench - tears welled in his eyes.
He never again saw him ever - but still remembers with pride,
When the old Digger told him of Heroes and a young boy sat and cried.

Lest We Forget

Karon Graham

Implications of the New Gonski Model for School Funding

“I want to begin by saying that education funding in Australia

can be characterised as a dog’s breakfast.”
(Education Minister Peter Garrett)

This is perhaps not Minister Peter Garrett’s most eloquent quote about the current nature of funding for schools, but it does convey something of the complexity of the current funding arrangements.

Earlier this week, I was asked in a radio interview about how independent schools might be affected by the proposed recommendations of the Gonski Review of Funding for Schools. While there is a simple response to this question, there is also a longer and more complicated response. The simple response is, “It depends”.

The new Gonski model of recurrent funding by both the Australian government and state and territory governments is to be based on a new Schooling Resource Standard (SRS). Interestingly, Gonski has worked this new Schooling Resource Standard to be very similar to the current model, which is based on $8000 per student in the primary sector and $10,500 per student in the secondary sector.

Very few independent schools in Queensland would be worse off with the new model – only the largest and wealthiest of schools in Brisbane, for example. In Victoria and New South Wales there is a larger percentage of wealthier independent schools that would be worse off with the new funding model.

For many Queensland independent schools, like Caloundra City Private School, (based on the recommended Gonski model), there would be an increase in recurrent funding depending upon a number of different factors. Each factor is given a loading that increases the level of recurrent funding dependent upon the following factors which are sourced from the data on MySchool:

• the socio-economic background of parents – based on parents’ occupation and level of education – the higher the socio-economic background the smaller the loading, the lower the socio-economic background the higher the loading

• school location and size - for example: large metropolitan schools (no loading), provincial, remote or very remote schools that are small receive increasingly significant loading with greater remoteness and smaller size; and

• schools with student populations of greater disadvantage - for example, a high proportion of non-English speaking families, or indigenous students or students with disabilities will result in higher loadings.

For Caloundra City Private School, based on 2009 data and all of these factors, the School would be entitled to an 11percent increase in our recurrent funding under the new model, meaning that we would be better off with the new model. But (and this is a big BUT), the governments (federal and state) would need to find another $5billion to fund the new model for all schools. In truth, neither federal nor state governments have the necessary funds to finance (in the short term anyway), this additional $5 billion. As Bill Daniels, Executive Director of Independent Schools Australia commented in an interview reported in The Age, Feb 24, 2012:

“The biggest obstacle won’t emerge from within the schooling sector, it will come from Commonwealth-state relations. The Gonski funding model requires a big injection of funding from both levels of government. In a tight fiscal environment a commitment to significant extra funds across nine governments is a big ask.”

Historically, government funding to all schools, has been determined by different models which have lasted on average for between twelve to sixteen years. The current model of funding will be in its twelfth year when it is due to end in 2013. Given the change of government in Queensland and likely changes in government elsewhere, it is highly unlikely that any agreement would be reached by federal and state governments by the 2013 expiry date. Because of this factor alone, it would be more likely that the federal government would simply legislate to extend the current school funding arrangements for at least two to three years. In other words, while there might be general agreement that the new Gonski model would result in greater equity and fairness for school funding, it is not going to see the ‘light of day’ until federal and state governments agree on how it is to be funded.

The media likes to polarise debate on funding to independent schools versus public schools and the politicisation of the debate means that many misconceptions surround school funding. As I pointed out in the radio interview, parents of independent schools pay twice – once when they pay taxes, which help fund all schools and secondly when they pay school fees. Parents in independent schools also make significant contribution to independent schools through the fund raising efforts of the Parents and Friends’ Associations and through other generous donations in dollars or in kind. Parents in independent schools are making an important investment in their child’s future.

Karon Graham