For the 100 Year Anniversary of the Gallipoli Landing, the Campus comprising Gleeson College, Pedare College and Golden Grove High School united on the Gleeson College Oval at Golden Grove, Adelaide. This saw over 3000 students and more than 300 staff commemorate the event together. Representatives from the 7th Battalion RAR provided a Catafalque party for the occasion, which were flanked by Cadets currently enrolled at the Campus schools. Invited dignitaries were also in attendance.
The event began with a fly-past by an AP3 Orion, the same aircraft that flew over the Adelaide ANZAC Day March!
Warrant Officer Michael Keefe provided professional support to the planning committee in preliminary preparation and in the delivery of a respectful and solemn tribute. His leadership of the Catafalque Party and mentoring of our Campus Defence Force Cadets was exemplary. WOD Keefe delivered an inspiring address that referenced a WWI 14-year-old enlistee. This helped place into perspective the courage of the ANZACs as many of our Middle School students are of the same age.
In a performance of an original song, Campus music students acknowledged the enormous sacrifice of a local Golden Grove family who lost two sons in WW1 – the Harper Brothers – recognised locally (Harper’s Field, Golden Grove) and in the Canberra War Memorial.
The Campus Defence Force Transition Mentor, Linda DeBoer, plays a significant role in the lives of students who have a parent or sibling serving in the Australian Defence Force. This role is in place to support the students who are in a Defence family in all aspects of their wellbeing and schooling, particularly when they transition from one state to another. The role also helps raise awareness of mobility issues facing students and offers support when a parent is on long-term deployment.
3300 students and staff showed great reverence at the significance of the commemoration for Australia’s history. The Campus also made its own history on this day, the 100th ANZAC Commemoration being the inaugural event at which all students and staff from the community stood together to pay their respects to those who have fallen, as well as those currently serving in war and peace keeping missions.
The Campus community extends sincere thanks and appreciation to WOD Michael Keefe and the Catafalque party of the 7th Battalion RAR, FLTLT Adam Steff (Pilot of the Orion), bugler Corporal Brendon Tasker of the Australian Army Band (Adelaide), Linda DeBoer and Gleeson College students Cadet Abigail Pett (12 HSBOD), Cadet Britney Shorter (10 FSIMB) and Cadet Joshua Edmonds (11 MSSPI) for their unique and integral roles in this 100th ANZAC Commemoration.
Publicity was secured with both Channel 9 and Channel 7 in attendance, with Channel 7 also bringing in their helicopter for the event. You can view footage of the event at the following links:
Channel 7 News Video on Gleeson YouTube
Channel 9 News Video on Gleeson YouTube
The One+ Campus comprising representation from all three sectors of education - Gleeson College (Catholic), Pedare Christian College (Independent) and Golden Grove High School (DECD) - has collaborated for more than 26 years to provide choice, opportunities and success for students from all three schools.
Linda DeBoer, our Campus Defence Force Transition Mentor (a role funded by the Commonwealth) supports over 80 Defence families across our three schools. Through Linda’s leadership and passion, One+ has developed a rich culture with the Australian Defence Forces, and annually the Campus commemorates Remembrance Day and Anzac Day with Military presence.
Twenty students from Catholic schools in South Australia have been named among the winners in two major state-wide Humanities competitions.
Earlier this year, senior school students from across South Australia were invited to enter the 2024 Premier’s Anzac Spirit School Prize and the Muriel Matters Awards.
