Page 5042 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 26 October 2010
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Just last month, the Chief Minister unveiled 18 new plaques at the ACT honour walk located near the ACT memorial. Among those honoured was war veteran Corporal Ernest Albert Corey. Corporal Corey holds the distinction of being the only soldier from the former British Empire to be awarded the military medal with three bars for acts of great bravery as a stretcher bearer during World War I. He is remembered for his gallantry, courage and skill. On returning in 1919, Corporal Corey moved to Canberra and worked in a number of jobs helping to develop the nation’s fledgling capital. Corey fought in World War II with the 2nd Garrison Battalion. He was buried with full military honours in the Woden cemetery in 1972. Corey Place in the suburb of Gowrie is named after him.
In fact, the ACT has a great number of street names which honour Canberra’s armed services personnel. You can have a look at ACTPLA’s website, which lists the street names of the ACT. A search this morning provided a total of 209 streets or places that are named in honour of Canberra’s armed services.
On 16 March 2007, the Chief Minister dedicated the first memorial to officially recognise the service of Canberra’s naval veterans. The anchor memorial is located in Eddison Park, Woden. The ACT government contributed $5,000 towards the anchor memorial. Speaking at the unveiling of the anchor memorial ceremony, the Chief Minister said:
… the memorial honours the men and women of Canberra and the surrounding region who have served in the Australian Navy.
In 2005, the government joined with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the Australian Defence Force to present three days of commemorative events in Canberra to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II in the Pacific. We allocated $100,000 in the budget to support the commemoration. Highlights included a reception at Parliament House, an air show over Lake Burley Griffin and a commemorative service at the Australian War Memorial on VP Day, Monday, 15 August. The government was pleased to support the staging of the salute to veterans on Sunday, 14 August, featuring displays in the air and on the water by the Air Force, Army and Navy, at which World War II veterans were guests of honour.
In my own portfolio, the Canberra Hospital, our major tertiary public hospital, has a dedicated veterans liaison officer to help veterans, ex-service men and women, war widows and their families when they attend the hospital. The officer is employed to assist with a wide range of specialist services, and provides liaison with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the commonwealth if it is needed. The Canberra Hospital has a veterans lounge for the exclusive use of veterans. The lounge, which is wheelchair accessible, offers veterans a television and video system, a selection of daily newspapers, a small library, a phone for local calls, a computer with access to the internet and tea and coffee-making facilities.
Every year at the Canberra Hospital, staff and patients remember Anzac Day—I have been lucky to attend that ceremony over the years—with a service at the veterans garden located just outside the veterans lounge. Each year, the Anzac commemoration
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