ANZAC Day Assembly 2025
Today, the College came together to mark ANZAC Day 2025. With stirring musical performances from the Senior Concert Band, Chamber Choir and the Last Post performed by Alex Herbst, along with an address from Prefect Madi about her relative Leslie Patrick Ponton who served in New Guinea, it was a moving reminder of the sacrifices given by past and present ANZAC personnel.
Thank you to special guests Dan Bull, City of Bayswater’s Councillor Michelle Sutherland, RSL Bedford-Morley’s Phillip and Faye Utting, Chair of the JFSC Board James McLaughlan, and JFSC P&C President Samantha Peet for joining us today.
Lest we forget.
ANZAC Day 2025 Address – Madi Ponton:
Today, I want to honour my grandfather's legacy — a legacy of courage, sacrifice, and unshakable pride.
Over 1,000 Indigenous men and women served in World War I, and more than 3,000 answered the call in World War II. Among them was my grandfather, Leslie Patrick Ponton.
Born in New Norcia Mission, Leslie later moved to Goomalling, where he found work as a farmhand. It was there he met the love of his life, Lillian Gladys Ponton. Together, they built a life and raised eight children — one of whom is my father.
Driven by a sense of duty and pride, Leslie enlisted to serve in World War II. He trained alongside fellow servicemen in Northam and Claremont, preparing for what would be the journey of a lifetime. In 1942, he set sail from Fremantle, heading to Darwin before being deployed to Papua New Guinea.
There, in the sweltering jungles and brutal battlefields, Leslie fought with unwavering spirit to defend a country that, at the time, refused to fully acknowledge him. Surrounded by the horrors of war, he watched his comrades fall, day after day, beneath a flag they all believed in.
After three long years, he returned home. But instead of gratitude, he was met with discrimination. Refused service in bars, overlooked by the nation he’d risked his life to protect — Leslie, like so many other Indigenous soldiers, was denied the respect and recognition he deserved.
It wasn't until 2014 that Leslie finally received acknowledgment from the Returned Services League (RSL), alongside his fellow Indigenous veterans. And perhaps the greatest injustice of all: it took until 1967 — 22 years after the war — for his country to even recognise him as a citizen.
Today, I stand here proud of my pop — not just for his bravery in battle, but for his resilience in the face of a system that failed him. He fought for a land that didn’t see him, and yet he never stopped loving it.
I’d now like to share a poem called The Coloured Digger, a tribute to the Indigenous men and women who served our nation with honour, even when our nation didn’t honour them in return.
“He came and joined the colours, when the War Gods anvil rang, He took up modern
weapons to replace the boomerang. He waited for no call-up, he didn’t need a push,
He came in from the stations, and the townships of the bush.
He helped when help was wanting, just because he wasn’t deaf; He is right among
the columns of the fighting AIF. He is always there when he wants, with is Owen gun
or Bren, He is the forward area, the place where men are men.
He probed he’s still a warrior, in action, not afraid, He faced the blasting and red-hot
fire from mortar and grenade; He didn’t mind when food was low, we were getting
thin, He didn’t growl or worry then, he’d cheer us with his grin.
He’d heard us talk democracy; they preached it to his face yet knew that in our
federal house there’s no one of his race. He feels we pushed his kinsmen out, where
cities do not reach, and parliament has yet to hear the Abo’s maiden speech.”
One day he’ll leave the army, then join the league he shall, and he hopes we will give a better deal to the aboriginal.
Died 4th of October 1966, he now lies peacefully at rest in the warm soil of Goomalling. Rest In Peace Pop.
Lest we forget.
Prefects Address – Paige and Olivia
As we gather here today, to commemorate the Anzacs, we are drawn together by the common thread of remembrance and gratitude. We stand here not only as members of the John Forrest community but as custodians of a legacy. Today, we pay tribute to the brave men and women who have served and continue to serve our nation with unwavering courage and selflessness. Today, as we approach ANZAC Day, we honour their sacrifices and commemorate their extraordinary deeds.
ANZAC Day holds a special place in our hearts and the history of our nation. It is a day that reminds us of the positive values that define us as Australians and New Zealanders – courage, mateship, and sacrifice. It is a day when we come together to reflect on the profound impact that war has had on our communities, our families, and our collective identity. It is not a time of glorifying war, but a time to remember that war is something that should be avoided.
As prefects of this school, we are privileged to stand before you today and to lead our community in honouring the ANZAC spirit. We understand the significance of this day, not only as a time of remembrance but also as an opportunity for us to reflect on our values and responsibilities as citizens of Australia. Just as the ANZACs forged bonds of camaraderie and resilience amidst the chaos of war, so too must we strive to uphold these values in our daily lives.
Today, we honour the brave men and women who have gone before us, and who have paved the way for the freedoms we enjoy today. But let us not simply remember their deeds but honour them by living lives of purpose, compassion, and integrity. Let us be worthy heirs to their legacy, carrying forward the torch of remembrance so that future generations may never forget the sacrifices that have been made on their behalf.
As we gather here today, let us pause to remember all those who have served and continue to serve our nation, from the battlefields of Gallipoli to the farthest corners of the globe and to all who continue to be affected by the horrors of war. Let us remember their courage, their sacrifice, and their unwavering commitment to freedom and justice. And let us renew our own commitment to upholding the values for which they fought so valiantly.
