As a young Australian I am able to perceive how incredibly lucky I am to have been born in a country as abundant in beauty, equality and opportunity as Australia.

I have been nurtured in an environment where I have not only received acceptance, support and a quality education, but have also been given the chance to connect and engage with many other fellow Australians.

For this I am incredibly grateful. However, I believe that sometimes we all need to be reminded that our happiness has come at a terrible price – That only through the pain and suffering of those before us do we have what we have today. From this I am referring to all of the men and women who have so selflessly fought in the name of Australia.

I am lucky enough to have grown up in a town which is very intimately acquainted with a group of these Australians – The 2/24th Battalion.

In July 1940, the 2/24th Battalion Headquarters group was formed as a means to serve Australia’s part in World War 2 – It was one of only two Victorian battalions in Victoria.

The very last place which the 2/24th Battalion was to stay before leaving Australia was the rural town of Wangaratta. They were welcomed with open arms by the local community as they rapidly built up their numbers. The people of Wangaratta adopted the Battalion and they became known as ‘Wangaratta’s Own’.

The Battalion was eventually attached to the 9th Australian Division, one of the most famous army fighting formations in World War 2. They served in Tobruk (1941) Tel el Eisa (1942), El Alemain (1942), New Guinea (1943) and Tarakan (1945).

In the past couple of years I have been given the honour of meeting a few of these surviving men.

From this I have realised that behind all of those names so meticulously laid out on the memorial walls, there are real people.

These people were (and are) not only strong, courageous and selfless, but also kind and caring, with huge hearts. These Australians loved and were loved, and many paid the ultimate sacrifice for us. They have played such a vital role in shaping the identity of our beautiful nation. It is to them that we owe so much of our happiness.

And so, to keep alive the memory of lives lost we must remind ourselves that we value who we are and the freedoms we possess. We must acknowledge the courage and sacrifice of those who contributed so much in shaping the identity of this proud nation.

Time will never dim the legacy of these heroes. We will never forget. We will always remember them.

– Amanda Roberts