Federal Minister for Veterans Affairs, the Hon Alan Griffin MP made a special visit to Port Adelaide at 4 pm on Friday July 4 to unveil a four metres by two metres Merchant Navy Day banner on the Lighthouse in Black Diamond Square.
Minister Griffin officially announced September 3 as Merchant Navy Day to honour an election promise by the Rudd Government.
Merchant seamen had petitioned Government for more than three years and the Governor General Governor-General, His Excellency Major General Michael Jeffery AC CVO MC
finally signed the official declaration two days before the Minister’s visit.
Minister Griffin revealed that he came from a merchant navy family so he had a special link with Australian seamen.
He spoke about the vital role of the merchant navy in both wartime and peace and in particular in defending Australia in World War Two.
The banner promotes the Port Adelaide Community Commemorative March to celebrateAustralia’s first ever annual Merchant Navy Day March scheduled for September 3.
A team of local veteran merchant seamen, the Semaphore Port Adelaide RSL and the Seafarers Memorial Committee has been organizing the Port march.
South Australia’s Deputy Premier and Treasurer, Kevin Foley, Port Adelaide Enfield Mayor, Gary Johanson, Commander Craig Pritchard RAN MHR Mark Butler MP, former MHR Rod Sawford, Ian Kelly Deputy Commissioner SA Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Affairs SA staff, MUA Chief Jamie Newlyn and a group of merchant navy veterans greeted the Minister.
After the Minister unveiled the banner, Kevin Jones, Director of the South Australian Maritime Museum hosted drinks aboard the veteran tug Yelta.
The Port Adelaide March has taken on another dimension with the recent declaration of an annual Battle for Australia Day on the first Wednesday in September, which this year coincides with Merchant Navy Day.
The MUA is a major participant in Merchant Navy Day and we all recall that 60 wharfies and seafarers were killed on the Fort Hill wharf in a single bombing raid in Darwin harbour and that Port Adelaide would eventually have been on the hit list.
The march will start at Fishermen’s Wharf Markets at 11 am on September 3 and go along the wharf to the back of the old Ports Building.
Serving and former merchant seamen, their families, the Maritime Union of Australia and other maritime groups will walk behind a Royal Australian Navy contingent.
The march will conclude with a special commemoration at the superb Navigator memorial to Lost Seafarers by local sculptor Karen Genoff.
New Port Adelaide Chaplain Rev Roger Trebilcock will conduct a short service and a light lunch will be served.
This sculpture is to be incorporated in a new waterfront Seafarers Memorial for Port Adelaide.
Karen Genoff is working with the Land Management Corporation in the projected removal, transport and placement of this sculpture at a waterfront site to be selected.
Port Adelaide MHR Mark Butler MP has been working on the memorial project with a Port Adelaide Seafarers Memorial Community Committee.
The Committee includes representatives from the City of Port Adelaide Enfield, Semaphore Port Adelaide RSL, Merchant Navy Association SA, Vindicatrix Association SA, the Land Management Corporation, the Port Centre Co-ordination Group, the South Australian Maritime Museum, Maritime Union of Australia, Port Adelaide Visitor Information Centre, National Trust Port Adelaide and Port Adelaide Historical Society.
Our photos show:
Left to right: Kevin Jones, Director of the South Australian Maritime Museum, Jamie Newlyn, Maritime Union of Australia, Rod Sawford, former MHR Port Adelaide, Kevin Foley, Deputy Premier and Treasurer and member for Port Adelaide, Alan Griffin MP, Minister for Veterans Affairs, Gary Johanson, Mayor of Port Adelaide and Mark Butler MP, MHR for Port Adelaide.
Minister Griffin relaxes with other guests aboard the veteran steam tug Yelta on the Port River with the bridges in the background. Port River dolphins also paid a visit to starboard side of the Yelta to the delight of those on board.
Minister's National Announcement on:
http://www.alp.org.au/media/0708/msva040.php
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