Army boss says Anzac spirit alive and well in Darwin

The boss of First Brigade will deliver his first Anzac Day address at Thursday’s Dawn Service. Read why he loves the occasion.

The Territory’s top soldier said the Bombing of Darwin and the city’s status as a garrison town were key reasons Anzac Day is unique in the Top End.

First Brigade commander Brigadier Doug Pashley, who is preparing to mark his inaugural Anzac Day as head of Robertson Barracks, said the Territory had a special connection to the commemoration beyond its military links that was born out of crisis and disaster as well as conflict.

He said the Territory’s response to Anzac Day was unique in the country, exemplified by the strong community connection and involvement.

“Anzac Day isn’t just for serving personnel, it’s for everyone to take a moment and say we might not be perfect but we’re pretty good as a country,” Brigadier Pashley said.

Brigadier Doug Pashley CSC with his speech at the Darwin Cenotaph's Remembrance Day service, 2023. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“Those traits we hold in high regard that those Anzacs showcased to the world on April 25 at Gallipoli are a window into Australian culture. There’s so many examples where the people of Darwin show those characteristics in spades.

“We talk about the Anzac legend, but its not just military. Anzac Day reflects on a key point in time where Australia’s national virtues came to be seen in that conflict on that beach in Turkey at that time, but it’s just a reflection of a broader national trait - resilience, mateship, and toughness.

“The recent flooding, bushfires, the Bali bombings, the national response to the Covid pandemic. On a day like Anzac Day, it really reinforces the uniqueness of this link in this community.

“I don’t think there’s any other town in Australia that has a bond to servicemen and women on Anzac Day that Darwin does.”

Installed at Robertson Barracks in November, Brigadier Pashley was previously Commander Land Force based at Potts Point, Sydney, and had attended Darwin’s Dawn Service in the company of visiting United States Marine Corp generals.

He enlisted in the Army in 1997 and has seen considerable change in how Anzac Day’s commemorated and conducted.

“It makes me incredibly proud the way that we reflect and pause on Anzac Day and I guess it will continue to evolve,” he said.

“We’re now seeing less veterans marching and now seeing more serving personnel marching. We’re now seeing veterans from more recent conflicts and deployments playing a more significant role. Those changes will continue but I hope the nature of Anzac Day doesn’t change.”

Brigadier Pashley will address The Dawn Service at Darwin Cenotaph, which begins at 6am Thursday.