annecto CEO Estelle Fyffe has a personal connection to Anzac Day. Her father Ken served in radio communications with the RAAF during the 1940’s assisting to bring planes home. He was in Darwin during the bombing and then moved to a small unit on the Gove Peninsula.
“After the war my father was reluctant to talk about his experiences although he became involved in voluntary welfare work for servicemen and their families through the RSL and Legacy.”
Estelle believes it’s important to reflect on individual stories and the impact the war had on people later in life and their families.
“We meet people everyday where the war had a profound effect on how their lives were shaped and the flow on effect to families.
Originally from Scotland, Nettie was a WREN in the second world war. She remembers as a young child in 1930 buying “a penny for a poppy”.
“We didn’t know when it would end. The thing that kept me going was ‘Faith, hope and charity’.
This year, annecto have been invited to lay a wreath at the Coloured Diggers march in Sydney’s Redfern. Estelle believes it’s important for all Australian cities to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and servicemen and women from diverse backgrounds.
“Listening to the stories of the war provides great insights into the hardships of the times and also how the events of war impacted on the individual and their families and communities”.
“It’s important to remember on Anzac Day, every person had their story. In remembering the sacrifices individuals and their families made during conflict, there was also challenges for the men and women from diverse backgrounds to reconnect with their culture and identify. Balancing identity with the call to serve in the armed forces would have presented many challenges, for some very young men and women.”
The organisation encourage reflection on individual stories of diversity within the men and women who served in the armed forces.
“Paying respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, the many and varied cultures represented is so very important on ANZAC Day.”
