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The Life and Legacy of Sir John Monash

Published 30 Nov 2015

The Hon Ted Baillieu, Former Premier of Victoria, discusses the life of Sir John Monash. Sir John Monash was Australia’s foremost military commander during the First World War and a true pillar of Australian life. As one of the leading infrastructure experts in the country, Sir John was enormously influential in the development of Melbourne and Victoria more broadly. Having been heavily involved in a variety of significant projects throughout Victoria both before and after the war, Sir John always sought to utilise his skills and abilities for the benefit of the wider community. Perhaps his most important contribution to Australia, though, was his work in providing a voice for the soldiers returning from war, and commemorating those whom had lost their lives. He oversaw the construction of the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, and was a principal organiser of the annual observance of ANZAC Day, now one of our nation’s most cherished holidays. On the year of the ANZAC Centenary, it is timely for us to remember a man who devoted so much of his life to provide innumerable contributions to Australia and ensure the sacrifices of the ANZACs would not be forgotten. The AIIA Victoria is pleased to welcome The Hon Ted Baillieu to celebrate the life and legacy of Sir John Monash, and to talk about his own work in organising ANZAC commemorations around the state. Mr Ted Baillieu is Chair of the Victorian Government’s ANZAC Centenary Committee, coordinating Victoria’s commemorations, and is passionate about connecting as many Victorians as possible with our original ANZACs. He served as the 46th Premier of Victoria from 2010 to 2013, retiring from Parliament in 2014 after 15 years of service as the Member for Hawthorn.