Ceremony to mark 76th anniversary of Australia’s involvement in peacekeeping operations

Australia was the first country to participate in peacekeeping operations after the formation of the United Nations in 1947. Photo: ADF.

A ceremony marking the 76th anniversary of Australia’s involvement in peacekeeping operations will be held between 11:00 am and 12:00 pm this Thursday (14 September) at the Australian Peacekeeping Memorial at the southern end of Anzac Parade in Campbell.

On 14 September 1947, Australia deployed peacekeepers to the Netherlands East Indies – now Indonesia – and was the first nation to do so after the formation of the United Nations.

Since then, Australia has made numerous peacekeeping deployments to various trouble spots around the world including Afghanistan, Bosnia, Bougainville, Cambodia, Congo, Croatia, Cyprus, East Timor, Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Haiti, Israel, Kashmir, Kosovo, Kuwait, Lebanon, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Sudan, the Solomon Islands, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Mozambique, Namibia, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), Rwanda, Somalia, Uganda, Western Sahara, Yemen and former Yugoslavia.

Hosted by Master of Ceremonies Matt Burke OAM on behalf of the Australian Peacekeeper and Peacemaker Veterans’ Association, the ceremony will be attended by past and present Australian peacekeepers and officials from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

After a Welcome to Country, the Peacekeeper’s Requiem will be read. This will be followed by an opening prayer, and then an address to the gathering by the Secretary of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Ms Alison Frame.

Prayers for the nations and for the families will be followed by a wreath-laying ceremony, the Police Ode, a rendition of the Last Post, a Benediction, and then closing remarks from Chairperson of the Australian Peacekeeper and Peacemaker Veterans’ Association, Mr Ian Lindgren.