Defending Country has co-operated with Defend Sacred Ground in a forum published simultaneously on Independent Australia and Quadrant Online.
Each group is providing a 1200 word article (last week), a 600 word rejoinder (this week), and a 100 word summing up (next week).
The rejoinders are in Independent Australia (combined in one post for ease of reading) and Quadrant Online (appended to the original articles, here and here.) In each case, there are links to the first set of articles.
Defending Country has long argued that the Australian War Memorial should properly recognise and commemorate the Australian (Frontier) Wars. Defend Sacred Ground is vehemently opposed to this change in the Memorial's direction
Despite these differing objectives, the two groups agree on the need for greater clarity in what the Memorial does. Both 'sides' argue for legislative change, Defending Country to insert words in the Australian War Memorial Act 1980 to support proper treatment of the Australian Wars, Defend Sacred Ground to prevent that happening.
Defending Country's proposed legislative change appears in our rejoinder article. We've reprinted it below. Defend Sacred Ground has got no further than urging readers to sign its petition.
In taking our position, Defending Country is effectively an ally of the War Memorial - while believing it needs to move faster and more bravely on the Australian Wars - while Defend Sacred Ground says those in favour of change, from the Memorial Council down, are 'anti-Australian', and captured by '"woke" ideology'.
Defend Sacred Ground continues this unhelpful tone in its latest contribution.
This forum has been organised with the agreement of the publishers of Independent Australia and Quadrant Online. Both publications provide for reader comment. Defending Country and Defending Sacred Ground thank Independent Australia and Quadrant Online.
***
Defending Country's proposed amendments to the Australian War Memorial Act 1980 are shown below in context, with the new words in bold.
Section 3 of the Act: Interpetation
"Australian military history" meansthe history of:
(a) wars and warlike operations in which Australians have been on active service, including the events leading up to, and the aftermath of, such wars and warlike operations;
(b) wars and warlike operations within Australia and involving Indigenous Australians, including the events leading up to, and the aftermath of, such wars and warlike operations;
(c) the Defence Force.
Section 5 of the Act: Functions of Memorial
(1) The functions of the Memorial are:
(a) to maintain and develop the national memorial referred to in subsection 6(1) of the Australian War Memorial Act 1962 as a national memorial of Australians who have died:
(i) on or as a result of active service; or
(ii) as a result of any war or warlike operations in which Australians have been on active service; or
(iii) as a result of any war or warlike operations within Australia and involving Indigenous Australians.
Picture credit: Detail of cover of Peter Stanley's book, Beyond the Broken Years: Australian Military History in 1000 Books. Detail from promotional poster for The Australian Wars, 2022, dir. Rachel Perkins (used with permission SBS).
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