It’s been the subjects of assignments, essays and projects throughout their school lives, but today a group of Ballarat Grammar students will reflect on a battlefield they know from more than just their textbooks.
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At the school’s Anzac service yesterday, students who had visited Gallipoli spoke of their experience, describing the feeling of being at Anzac Cove, at Lone Pine and other sites as spiritual.
One student said his experience would stay with him for the rest of his life.
“I was walking where they walked, I was walking in their footsteps, I went to the places they went to,” the crowd was told.
“After all the stories and all the Anzac projects I had done throughout the years, I was at the place we had all heard so much about.”
Among the hundreds gathered in the gardens adjacent to Forest Street yesterday stood year 10 student Aidan Dixon.
He wasn’t wearing a school uniform and he didn’t make any speech, but he stood straighter than anyone else when the haunting Last Post began echoing through the crowd.
An Australian Army Cadet, Aidan is continuing a family tradition in the armed forces, with both his grandfathers, uncle and parents all involved.
One of his grandfathers fought in New Guinea and his uncle was involved in the surrender at Singapore and eventually held in the infamous Changi prisoner of war camp.
Aidan’s parents are both part of the Army Reserve.
“I’m the third generation,” he said.
“I’m hoping to join (the armed forces) once I finish school, I’d like to join the Armoured Corps but who knows at this stage.”
Aidan said while more and more young people were getting into the spirit of Anzac Day in recent times, there was still room for improvement and potential for greater involvement from younger generations.
During the service, year 12 students placed poppies in a wreath for each Old Grammarian lost at war.
jordan.oliver@fairfaxmedia.com.au
