Commemorating Remembrance Day and NAIDOC week
by Jenifer Hasbun
The year 2020 has certainly been unique in many ways, and this year for the first time, Remembrance Day which occurs every year on 11th day of the 11th month (11th November) occurs during this year’s rescheduled NAIDOC Week (8th – 15th November).
As CPA Group staff, clients and stakeholders are aware, CPA Group takes great pride in our support of former defence personnel and Indigenous participation. A quick review of our social media postings and our website show our ongoing commitment to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander State War Memorial which are tangible evidence of our involvement. Needless to say, we could not let the co-incident timing of 2020 to pass un-recognised!
Former CPA Group General Manager, Dave Hatton, OAM and CPA Group Indigenous Ambassador and Elder of the Army, Lorraine Hatton OAM, provided a historical presentation to the entire CPA Group Head Office staff.
After an Acknowledgement of Country by Lorraine, the session involved a presentation by Dave with a brief history of Australia’s involvement in WW1, the origins of Remembrance Day, and the historical involvement of Our First Nations Peoples in the Great War.
The presentation finished with a recitation of the Ode of Remembrance by Luke Holm, one of our many proud veterans in the CPA Family.
After the presentation, we all gathered for morning tea and photographs, in our new CPA Group Indigenous Corporate shirts.
Surely a day to remember!