Sydney Opera House lit up with poppies for Remembrance Day

The sails of Sydney Opera House were lit up in a sea of poppies as a sunrise service paid tribute to service men and women for Remembrance Day.

The sails of Sydney Opera House were lit up in a sea of poppies as a sunrise service paid tribute to service men and women for Remembrance Day.

The projection will light up again at 8pm on Saturday night, a tradition started in 2014 that has been marked by every Remembrance Day since.

Later today large crowds will flow into the city for a service at the Cenotaph in Martin Place with a minute’s silence helf at 11am to mark the moment on 11 November 1918 when the guns went silent on the Western Front.

This year will have a particular focus on veterans of the Korean War marking 70 years since the signing of the Armistice, as well as Vietnam veterance marking the 50th anniversary of the extraction from Saigon.

The sails of Sydney Opera House were lit up in a sea of poppies.

The image of the RSL as a league of grey, ageing warriors evolves this Remembrance Day when Vietnam War veteran Ray James passes the RSL NSW helm to Afghanistan War veteran Mick Bainbridge – the youngest president in the the organisation’s history.

The move to appoint the 39-year-old former commando and PTSD treatment advocate mirrors the shift in the league’s ranks toyounger members.

In 2019, the average RSL NSW member was 78, today the average age is 58.

It also sets Mr Bainbridge on a mission to recruit vets who aren’t engaged in the RSL.

“Right now we’ve got tens of thousands of younger veterans who aren’t necessarily engaged with RSL NSW,” Mr Bainbridge said. “I‘ll be the first to admit that we’ve probably been asleep at the wheel. But… we’ve had the best intentions. Right now (we’re) trying to understand younger veterans, and we need that input.”

Former RSL President Ray James and new RSL President Mick Bainbridge. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Mr Bainbridge, who now runs his own law firm, came home after five tours in Afghanistan with major injuries, a loss of careerand identity.

He said while boosting young veteran membership was important, mental health advocacy also was a priority, especially amidthe wars in Gaza and the Ukraine.

“News of global conflicts is constant across mainstream media, social media, and in our conversations and veterans understandtheir cost, more than most,” Mr Bainbridge said.

“I want to reassure veterans who are distressed by this footage and imagery of current conflicts that they can turn to RSLNSW. (It) is critical to ensure veterans feel supported, connected and, in turn, able to manage the ongoing exposure to conflict.”

Mr Bainbridge said he was eager to target veteran bodies within government in the future to better support former defencepersonnel.

“Over the last several months I’ve been extremely disappointed in some of the legislative changes. The government has pushedthrough really detrimental financial trajectories for veterans into the future,” he said.

“Especially with next year‘s conclusion of the Royal Commission in the defence of veterans suicide, there’s going to be consultationperiods, and we need to be heavily involved in twisting as many arms as we can to write that check and make sure that veteransare catered for.”

Mr James said he had worked hard to make RSL NSW a community for veterans of all ages” and his presidency had culminated “in handing over leadership to a passionate young veteran who can help carry RSL NSW into the future”..