Vetaffairs / Department of Veterans' Affairs, [1984]-

Call Number
Nef 362.86840994 VET
Created/Published
[Canberra] : [Dept. of Veterans' Affairs]
Issue
(December 1992)
Images
8
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Text

Vetaffairs  

NEWSPAPER FOR THE VETERAN COMMUNITY  

In this-issue  

Melifire Pass memorial progresses  

‘Angel’ visits Canberra for anniversary  

DVA Health team visits Cambodia  

Reunion of Anzac VC winners  

fj Tasmanians remember lucky ship  

Remember the Somme  

'From the valley of that shadow  

they slowly emerged, recovering  

in numbers, health and spirit,  

their area one of the best  

furnished, and their corps  

recognised as among the finest  

fighting machines at the disposal  

of the British command'  

World War historian C.E.W. Bean  

on the Australians at the Somme  

The Prime Minister, Paul Keating, pauses in tribute after placing wreath at the Australian War Memorial  

during Remembrance Day commemorations on November 11.  

VETERANS will recall the heroism and  

the horrors of the World War Somme  

Valley campaign when they visit France  

next year on Federal Government-spon-  

sored pilgrimage.  

The Prime Minister, Paul Keating, announced  

the pilgrimage on November 11.  

“On this anniversary of Armistice Day, am  

pleased to announce that the Federal  

Government will fund commemorative mis-  

sion to the French battlefields in 1993,” Mr  

Keating said.  

“I envisage this journey involving number  

of World War veterans as national trib-  

ute to the sacrifices of Australian service per-  

sonnel.  

Pilgrimage will recall  

Australian sacrifices,  

says Prime Minister  

“The visit, likely to take place in August or  

September next year, will be forerunner to  

the 75th anniversary of the end of World War I,  

in November 1993.  

“Thousands of young Australians participated  

in World War and therefore there was great  

impact on most Australian families. The casu-  

alty rate was very high, particularly in France  

in the final years of the war.  

“Of the 313,000 soldiers who embarked from  

Australia, 53,000 died in France and Belgium.  

About 18,000 have no known grave.  

“Because of the success of the pilgrimage to  

Gallipoli in 1990, we now propose that limit-  

ed number of veterans travel to the Somme, an  

area where Australians fought with valour in  

1918.  

“The number might be of the order of one or  

two from each state. The delegation would be  

accompanied by administrative and support  

staff.  

“The mission will coincide with the anniver-  

sary of Australian attacks on Mont St Quentin  

and Peronne in 1918. This fighting is held by  

many historians and Australian veterans to be  

brilliant action which effectively removed  

five German divisions from the fighting. It  

resulted in 3000 Australian casualties.”  

Mr Keating said the group also was to travel to  

Villers-Bretonneux and Bullecourt, where  

Australian veterans had long-standing links  

with the French people.  

This year’s Federal Budget provided $2 million  

for support of military commemorations from  

the period 1992-93 to 1995-6.  

busy and rewarding year, says Minister  

CHRISTMAS MESSAGE  

1992 has been busy and rewarding year in  

the Veterans’ Affairs portfolio. Highlights  

included the commemoration of the 50th and  

75th anniversaries of many significant battles;  

the dedication of the Vietnam War memorial;  

the integration of RGH Hobart into the  

Tasmanian health system, thereby giving eli-  

gible Tasmanian veterans access to private  

patient scheme; and Budget which con-  

tained several exciting beneficial measures  

for veterans.  

My own workload was increased when in mid-  

year became Cabinet Minister and assumed  

responsibility for advising the Prime Minister  

on issues relating to northern Australia. One  

spin-off of this has been that have met veter-  

ans in some of the remote parts of the vast  

north whilst visiting places which are not gen-  

erally on the itinerary of Minister for  

Veterans’ Affairs.  

Next year there will doubtless be new chal-  

lenges for us to face, and hope that all read-  

ers will have the opportunity to “recharge the  

batteries” over the festive season. May take  

this opportunity to wish all members of the ex-  

service community and all staff of the  

Department of Veterans’ Affairs very happy  

and healthy Christmas, and my best wishes  

for the New Year.  

BEN HUMPHREYS  

LATE NEWS  

On December 15 the agreement in principle to integrate RGH  

Concord into the NSW health system was announced by the Deputy  

Prime Minister, Brian Howe, the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Ben  

Humphreys, and the NSW Health Minister, Ron Phillips. Integration  

is projected to begin on July next year.  

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS PUBLICATION  

DECEMBER 1992  

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http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1108109779

APA citation

Australia. Department of Veterans' Affairs. (). Vetaffairs / Department of Veterans' Affairs, Retrieved July 31, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1108109779

MLA citation

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>

Harvard/Australian citation

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

Wikipedia citation

{{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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