STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Ms SITOU (Reid) (13:41): I was incredibly saddened to hear of the passing of Reg Chard OAM, aged 102, Australia's last surviving Kokoda veteran. Reg enlisted in the Australian Army in 1942 at just 18 years of age. He went on to serve in Papua New Guinea, including during the Kokoda campaign, one of the most gruelling chapters in Australia's history.

After returning home from war, Reg built a wonderful life here with his wife Betty but his service to our country did not end when the war ended. Later in life, Red volunteered at the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway in Concord West. There, he spent years teaching school students and visitors about the Kokoda campaign, the mates he served alongside and the extraordinary sacrifices made by a generation of Australians.

I had the privilege of meeting Reg there, and what always struck me was his humility. He never sought praise for himself. Instead, he wanted people to remember those who did not come home and to understand the cost of freedoms we enjoy today.

Reg lived a remarkable life of service, sacrifice and generosity. We owe him and his generation an enormous debt. Rest in peace, Reg Chard.

Lest we forget.