Why Anzac Day is extra special for two 17-year-olds (2024)

Merenia Tapsell and Jared Lasike may only be 17 but those attending this year’s Rotorua Civic Memorial Service on Anzac Day will hear why the day has great significance to them.

The pair, who are head prefects at their respective Rotorua schools, are to be guest speakers at this year’s memorial service at the Sir Howard Morrison Centre.

Tapsell, who is head girl at Western Heights High School, will talk about her great-grandfather, Winiata Tapsell, who served in World War II.

He helped to liberate the small French town of Le Quesnoy by building a ladder to climb an ancient wall into the German-held town.

She said it would be a great honour to speak on behalf of youth and to express how meaningful the Anzacs’ contribution was today.

Lasike, head boy at Rotorua Boys’ High School, will talk about his great-grandfather, Stephen Adlam, who fought at Passchendaele during World War I.

The battle became notorious for the loss of life and casualties without much gain.

“My great-grandfather made it out of Passchendaele but he wasn’t really the same afterwards,” Lasike said. “I heard from my grandfather, who wanted to know stories from the war from him, but he wouldn’t really talk about it much and that was fairly common from those who fought there.”

It would be a huge honour not only to honour his great-grandfather but also the other Anzac soldiers for their sacrifices, he said.

Locals and visitors are invited to attend several free Anzac commemorations in Rotorua to reflect and remember all the men and women who served.

Tomorrow’s services begin with Te Arawa Māori Returned Services League Dawn Service at Ōhinemutu from 5.45am. The service will be conducted by the Rev Tom Poata and includes a short parade past the Muruika Soldiers’ Cemetery (near St Faith’s Church). It is expected to end about 6.30am.

At 9am, the Anzac Day Parade will depart from Te Arawa War Memorial (next to Rotorua Museum in the Government Gardens) and will make its way to the Sir Howard Morrison Centre, where the memorial service will begin about 9.30am. The service will take about an hour.

Poata will again be officiating, with Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell introducing this year’s guest speakers, British Deputy High Commissioner to New Zealand John Pearson and the two youth speakers, Lasike and her younger sister Merenia.

Grant Botting will play the Last Post on his bugle before the Ode to the Fallen is read by WO1 Brent Pene from the New Zealand Defence Force and Rotorua Returned Services Association president Jason Ramsay.

Laying of the wreaths will take place during the service and pipers from the City of Rotorua Highland Pipe Band will play. Other performances from the Rotorua Brass Band and Te Kura o Te Koutu will take place through the service.

Queens Dr from Prince’s Gate Arch to Te Arawa War Memorial (roundabout next to the Rotorua Museum). Arawa St from Prince’s Gate Arch to the intersection of Fenton St, (not including the roundabout). People are encouraged to avoid the Prince’s Gate entrance to Government Gardens due to the road closure.

Anzac stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.

In 1915, Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey to open the Dardanelles to the allied navies. The ultimate objective was to capture Constantinople (now Istanbul), the capital of the Ottoman Empire, an ally of Germany.

The New Zealand Expeditionary Force left in October 1914, combined with their Australian counterparts to form the Anzacs. Along with some British units, they mounted an amphibious expedition.

The Australian and New Zealand forces landed on Gallipoli on April 25, meeting fierce resistance. The assault ended some eight months later as a saga of errors and horrors.

The infantry were not trained properly to land from the sea, were inadequately supplied with artillery shells, had no grenades, were without engineers or material for the construction of piers, were never fully supplied with other materials and never reinforced quickly enough or in sufficient numbers.

The cost to New Zealand was 2721 dead and 4725 injured (some of whom subsequently died) – a staggering 88 per cent casualty rate.

New Zealand and Australia’s reaction was to establish Anzac Day as an annual day of commemoration.

Anzac Day is considered a restricted trading day and most shops must remain closed until 1pm.

It is an offence to open and shop owners are liable for a fine of up to $1000.

Exemptions apply to small grocery shops, pharmacies, service stations, takeaways, bars, cafes and other places providing services.

Bars and cafes can sell alcohol as long as it’s accompanied by a meal.

Ode of Remembrance

They shall grow not old,

as we that are left grow old;

Age shall not weary them,

nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun

and in the morning

We will remember them.

Response:

We will remember them

Lest we forget

Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.