Armistice Day
Armistice at the Cenotaph , Martin Place , Sydney , 1934 / photograph by Sam Hood [ State Library of New South Wales ] by John Horne
Armistice Day is commemorated every year on 11 November . At 11 o ’ clock people stop what they are doing and remain silent for a period of time to remember the Australians who have lost their lives in various wars . It is also called Remembrance Day .
The very first Armistice Day was an actual date when an armistice occurred at 11 o ’ clock on 11 November in 1918 . This event brought World War One to an end . Hundreds of local men and a small group of local women were serving in the First World War at the time of the armistice .
Strange as it may seem , people were still being killed before 11 a . m .
on 11 November 1918 and right up till 10.59 a . m . the shelling , bombing and firing continued . But at 11 o ’ clock the shooting ceased and peace returned to the battlefields .
The First World War has been called ‘ The Great War ’ and ‘ The War to End All Wars ,’ but unfortunately since 1918 hundreds of thousands of Australians have been involved with many other wars . Today Armistice Day is used to commemorate their losses , sacrifices and service too .
On Armistice Day , ceremonies are held at various war memorials in our area . In local schools , children stand still and try to understand what war and the end of a war is all about .
Silence is observed . There are speeches and flags are lowered and raised again to the mournful sounds of ‘ The Last Post ’ and ‘ Reveille ’.
When the eleventh hour has passed , life returns to normal and people go about their usual daily activities again .
A group of women and children rejoicing in a street in Sydney at the signing of the Armistice , 11 November 1918 . [ Australian War Memorial ]
REMEMBRANCE DAY 11 NOVEMBER 2022
Lest We Forget
Remembrance Sunday
A tradition in The Hills District is to commemorate Remembrance Day with a service on the Sunday before the 11th of November at the World War 1 Soldier Memorial in the Balcombe Heights Estate .
This annual commemorative event is known as Remembrance Sunday . It is an important community gathering in the diary of local Baulkham Hills MP , David
Elliott who is also the NSW Minister for Veterans and a veteran of the Australian Army .
The location for the Remembrance Service is in the beautiful avenue of trees leading to the Soldier Memorial .
The gathering is organised by the Balcombe Heights Estate Committee in partnership with The Hills Shire Council .
The Hon
David Elliott MP
Member for Baulkham Hills Minister for Transport • Minister for Veterans Minister for Western Sydney
Suite 1 , 25-33 Old Northern Road , Baulkham Hills NSW 2153 02 9686 3110 baulkhamhills @ parliament . nsw . gov . au davidelliott . com . au
Authorised by David Elliott MP , Suite 1 , 25-33 Old Northern Road , Baulkham Hills NSW 2153 . This publication is funded by parliamentary entitlements .
THE HILLS INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine . com . au ISSUE 89 // NOVEMBER 2022 27