Fix this text
Vetaffairs
Fix this textA NEWSPAPER FOR THE VETERAN COMMUNITY
Fix this textIn this-issue
Fix this textU Melifire Pass memorial progresses
Fix this text‘Angel’ visits Canberra for anniversary
Fix this textI DVA Health team visits Cambodia
Fix this textQ Reunion of Anzac VC winners
Fix this textfj Tasmanians remember lucky ship
Fix this textRemember the Somme
Fix this text'From the valley of that shadow
Fix this textthey slowly emerged, recovering
Fix this textin numbers, health and spirit,
Fix this texttheir area one of the best
Fix this textfurnished, and their corps
Fix this textrecognised as among the finest
Fix this textfighting machines at the disposal
Fix this textof the British command'
Fix this text- World War I historian C.E.W. Bean
Fix this texton the Australians at the Somme
Fix this textThe Prime Minister, Paul Keating, pauses in tribute after placing a wreath at the Australian War Memorial
Fix this textduring Remembrance Day commemorations on November 11.
Fix this textVETERANS will recall the heroism and
Fix this textthe horrors of the World War I Somme
Fix this textValley campaign when they visit France
Fix this textnext year on a Federal Government-spon-
Fix this textsored pilgrimage.
Fix this textThe Prime Minister, Paul Keating, announced
Fix this textthe pilgrimage on November 11.
Fix this text“On this anniversary of Armistice Day, I am
Fix this textpleased to announce that the Federal
Fix this textGovernment will fund a commemorative mis-
Fix this textsion to the French battlefields in 1993,” Mr
Fix this textKeating said.
Fix this text“I envisage this journey involving a number
Fix this textof World War I veterans as a national trib-
Fix this textute to the sacrifices of Australian service per-
Fix this textsonnel.
Fix this textPilgrimage will recall
Fix this textAustralian sacrifices,
Fix this textsays Prime Minister
Fix this text“The visit, likely to take place in August or
Fix this textSeptember next year, will be a forerunner to
Fix this textthe 75th anniversary of the end of World War I,
Fix this textin November 1993.
Fix this text“Thousands of young Australians participated
Fix this textin World War I and therefore there was a great
Fix this textimpact on most Australian families. The casu-
Fix this textalty rate was very high, particularly in France
Fix this textin the final years of the war.
Fix this text“Of the 313,000 soldiers who embarked from
Fix this textAustralia, 53,000 died in France and Belgium.
Fix this textAbout 18,000 have no known grave.
Fix this text“Because of the success of the pilgrimage to
Fix this textGallipoli in 1990, we now propose that a limit-
Fix this texted number of veterans travel to the Somme, an
Fix this textarea where Australians fought with valour in
Fix this text1918.
Fix this text“The number might be of the order of one or
Fix this texttwo from each state. The delegation would be
Fix this textaccompanied by administrative and support
Fix this textstaff.
Fix this text“The mission will coincide with the anniver-
Fix this textsary of Australian attacks on Mont St Quentin
Fix this textand Peronne in 1918. This fighting is held by
Fix this textmany historians and Australian veterans to be
Fix this texta brilliant action which effectively removed
Fix this textfive German divisions from the fighting. It
Fix this textresulted in 3000 Australian casualties.”
Fix this textMr Keating said the group also was to travel to
Fix this textVillers-Bretonneux and Bullecourt, where
Fix this textAustralian veterans had long-standing links
Fix this textwith the French people.
Fix this textThis year’s Federal Budget provided $2 million
Fix this textfor support of military commemorations from
Fix this textthe period 1992-93 to 1995-6.
Fix this textA busy and rewarding year, says Minister
Fix this textCHRISTMAS MESSAGE
Fix this text1992 has been a busy and rewarding year in
Fix this textthe Veterans’ Affairs portfolio. Highlights
Fix this textincluded the commemoration of the 50th and
Fix this text75th anniversaries of many significant battles;
Fix this textthe dedication of the Vietnam War memorial;
Fix this textthe integration of RGH Hobart into the
Fix this textTasmanian health system, thereby giving eli-
Fix this textgible Tasmanian veterans access to a private
Fix this textpatient scheme; and a Budget which con-
Fix this texttained several exciting beneficial measures
Fix this textfor veterans.
Fix this textMy own workload was increased when in mid-
Fix this textyear I became a Cabinet Minister and assumed
Fix this textresponsibility for advising the Prime Minister
Fix this texton issues relating to northern Australia. One
Fix this textspin-off of this has been that I have met veter-
Fix this textans in some of the remote parts of the vast
Fix this textnorth whilst visiting places which are not gen-
Fix this texterally on the itinerary of a Minister for
Fix this textVeterans’ Affairs.
Fix this textNext year there will doubtless be new chal-
Fix this textlenges for us to face, and I hope that all read-
Fix this texters will have the opportunity to “recharge the
Fix this textbatteries” over the festive season. May I take
Fix this textthis opportunity to wish all members of the ex-
Fix this textservice community and all staff of the
Fix this textDepartment of Veterans’ Affairs a very happy
Fix this textand healthy Christmas, and my best wishes
Fix this textfor the New Year.
Fix this textBEN HUMPHREYS
Fix this textLATE NEWS
Fix this textOn December 15 the agreement in principle to integrate RGH
Fix this textConcord into the NSW health system was announced by the Deputy
Fix this textPrime Minister, Brian Howe, the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Ben
Fix this textHumphreys, and the NSW Health Minister, Ron Phillips. Integration
Fix this textis projected to begin on July 1 next year.
Fix this textA DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS PUBLICATION
Fix this textDECEMBER 1992
Fix this textIt's easy and takes two shakes of a lamb's tail!
With your Trove account you can:
http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1108109779
Australia. Department of Veterans' Affairs. (). Vetaffairs / Department of Veterans' Affairs, Retrieved July 31, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1108109779
Australia. Department of Veterans' Affairs. Vetaffairs / Department of Veterans' Affairs, [Canberra]: [Dept. of Veterans' Affairs], . Web. 31 July 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1108109779>
Australia. Department of Veterans' Affairs. , Vetaffairs / Department of Veterans' Affairs, [Dept. of Veterans' Affairs], [Canberra] viewed 31 July 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1108109779
{{Citation
| author1=Australia. Department of Veterans' Affairs.
| title=Vetaffairs / Department of Veterans' Affairs
| year=
| section=v. : ill. ; 35-40 cm.
| issn=0819-8934
| issue=(December 1992)
| location=[Canberra]
| publisher=[Dept. of Veterans' Affairs]
| url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1108109779
| id=nla.obj-1108109779
| access-date=31 July 2025
| via=Trove
}}
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