ANZAC Day: as always, veterans march under the Australian Flag

The Scots College Pipes and Drums led 300 cadets each proudly bearing an Australian Flag in the 2010 ANZAC March in Sydney. And what a wonderful site that was to behold.

Our Flag is not, as a tiny but noisy minority maintain, a colonial relic to be shredded and replaced by some unknown and unloved alien symbol.

The Australian Flag is intimately related to our past, our present and to the future of our nation, for it represents the very pillars which made and maintain our Commonwealth of Australia.

Captain Arthur Philip did not come alone in 1788. With the eleven ships of the First Fleet , the convicts, the sailors and the marines, he brought four priceless gifts which are with us today.

These are not colonial relics; they are the pillars of our nation. These are our English language, the rule of law under the common law, our Judeo Christian values which are meant for all, as the Reverend Richard Johnson stressed in the first sermon, and leadership beyond politics.

This comes through our oldest institution, the Crown. Before self government the Crown sought to protect the weak against the strong and later, was to become a significant check and balance on the political class, both directly and through the allegiance it gives to the other institutions outside of and beyond the the control and machinations of party politics.

In a surprisingly short period of time, and before the Eureka Stockade, the British had introduced legislation to give us self government under the Westminster system, with our own Parliaments and governments.

Then came the sixth pillar, the peoples decision humbly relying on the blessing of Almighty God...to join together in one indissoluble Federal Commonwealth under the Crown if you will, a crowned republic.

No one surely suggests we treat these as colonial relics - although some have tried to construct a mock Crown to replace the real one.

Immediately on Federation our predecessors adopted a Flag the stars and crosses - which symbolises these very pillars of the Commonwealth of Australia. And that is the Australian Flag which now flies so proudly over our nation.

Our National Flag could not better symbolise our language, the rule of law under the common law, our Judeo Christian values, leadership beyond politics through the Crown, the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy and the attainment of one nation through federation.

With those pillars and under this Flag we have secured two remarkable achievements.

First, we have established one of the worlds oldest, most egalitarian and stable democracies.

Second we have been unequalled in the contributions we have made to the freedom and liberty of other peoples across the world and through the last century, a fact which we celebrate with pride on ANZAC day when we commemorate those who fought for and died for this Commonwealth of Australia.

This Flag is no colonial relic, it captures the very heart of our nation.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• ANZAC Day
• Australian Flag
• Criown
• republic
• crowned republic

[BigSaggy5318008]

Wooooo my brothers in this video:) so proud of him

[james1234279]

I too was marching in this video with the AAFC. Its good to see many proud Aussies against a republic and a new flag.

[tonyiommirox]

i was standing straight under those cameras and it looked awesome..

[johnhuynh69]

Excuse what channel was this broadcast ed on?

[3aw77]

No Australian flag flew at Gallipoli 1915 - 16

[MrBennyb]

go the vietnam vets...good on ya boys

[randomwithabomb]

good day, i was marching with the AAFC in this video. do you have a high quality video of this?