Students at St Patrick’s College for girls have taken out first prize in the national Anzac Day schools’ awards for a passion project through which they recorded the stories of local servicemen and women, then built a website to publish their research.
In addition to taking out the top spot in the competition run by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, these students were awarded the Brigadier Bill Rolfe AO award for veteran involvement.
The student-led project titled, Our local veterans: discovering, recording and reflecting on stories of service, was completed outside school hours by members of the school’s history club and aimed to preserve the first and second hand stories of service personnel.
The girls conducted 14 interviews with veterans and their families. Interviewees were invited to bring an object from their military service to discuss and were asked a range of questions, including about the challenges they faced during and after their service.
Each participant sat for a portrait taken by Year 10 student, Hannah Buckpitt. When the content was complete, the website build was led by Year 12 student, Isabelle Slade.
Many of the military personnel were parents or relatives of the students and the girls reflected on how the project helped them view their family members in a new light.
Particularly poignant is the interview Year 8 student Hope Schwarze conducted with her grandfather, John Matthew Purkis, who served in the military for 19 years, including in the Vietnam War.
[Mr Purkis passed away just a few weeks after the interview.]
“Every year, I have marched with my pop on Anzac Day,” Hope said.
“This year was my first time marching without him. He taught me what Anzac Day is about and now, in his absence, I will wear his medals, and my great-grandfather’s medals, with pride and carry on their legacy.
“My grandfather and his inspiring stories have taught me how to be courageous and to believe in myself.
“He followed through with his childhood dream to serve in the army. When he returned, he lived with no regrets. He saw the best in everyone and everything, even though he had experienced the worst,” Hope said.
Year 12 student, Caitlin Reynolds, documented the story of her great-grandfather, Harley James Daley, who was 34 years old when he enlisted in WWII in 1940.
While serving, Daley was captured by Japanese soldiers in Malaysia. He spent four years in brutal POW camps, including the infamous Changi.
As a Warrant Officer, Daley was responsible for 200 Allied soldiers in Changi prison and risked his life documenting his experiences in a diary which he buried each day.
Upon returning home, Daley resumed his former position with Ingleburn Municipal Council, which was later amalgamated with Campbelltown Municipal Council.
He made a significant contribution to the local area, helping to facilitate Campbelltown’s transformation from a small country town to a burgeoning city.
“Learning about my great-grandfather has allowed me to reflect upon the experiences of those who have served – they hold our national stories, our local stories and our family stories,” Caitlin said.
“It is these experiences that help us understand the sacrifices of those who came before us.”
