“I absorb the intensity of the silence,” says Peter Bowring, vice president of the North Beach Returned and Services League (RSL) sub-branch. Each November he helps coordinate the North Beach ceremony at Charles Riley Memorial Reserve, but when the one-minute silence begins his mind goes far from the coast.
“In that minute I think of the deaths, killed in action and wounded in action, of Australian soldiers and, in particular, the bravery at Long Tan in the rubber plantation near Nui Dat.”
Another sound pulls memory tight for him.
“The moment a helicopter crosses the sky, commercial or military, I hear the UH-1 Iroquois again, that ‘thumping-wokka wokka-whup whup’ as they provided covering fire and medical evacuation landings to remove our wounded or lift out troops.”
On Tuesday November 11, Western Australians will gather at the State War Memorial in Kings Park for the WA Remembrance Day commemorative service, hosted by RSLWA.
The service runs 10.30 to 11.15am and leads into the one-minute silence at 11am, a national moment that links us to the end of the First World War and to all who served and suffered in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations.
For many readers, that call to stillness is a hand on the shoulder from long ago. Brian Jennings, conscripted in 1966 and later serving with B Company, 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR), remembers a departure that still echoes.
“At Perth Airport, waiting to board for Puckapunyal, a radio or the public address system played The Seekers’ The Carnival is Over. Some of the words were ‘for the carnival is over, we may never meet again’.
“Whenever that song is played on the radio, it reminds me of that time, and of how my grandfather’s family must have felt when he left to serve during the First World War.
“To observe Remembrance Day, remember all those who have served or are serving, in conflict and in peace, especially those who, at a young age, died during or as a result of their service.”
Peter Edwards, member of the North Beach RSL Sub-Branch, carries his remembrance on the wall in front of him.
“I think of my two uncles in WWI who survived the conflict with lungs damaged by gas. Despite this, they returned to work only to die in mine accidents.”
A small photo and Department of Defence certificate sit beside his desk.
“It tells the story of a friend who was awarded the Military Medal in Korea in 1953 at 23 years of age. What it does not disclose was his PTSD agony and his suicide five years later.”
His message for younger readers is direct: “The freedoms you enjoy today came at a horrific cost. If you think you are hard done by, stop and reflect on the sacrifice these young men made. Then count your blessings and pray it will never happen to you.”
Rob Sweet OAM, a 20-year Royal Australian Navy veteran and flag marshal at the North Beach sub-branch, says the day always brings him back to the loss of 82 sailors on HMAS Voyager in 1964.
“I hear Abide With Me being sung by the chief coxswain to comfort the young crew who were not going to get out of the sinking ship.”
At North Beach, he tends to the flag with a sailor’s care, raised, then lowered to half-mast before plaques are dedicated on the Wall of Remembrance to comrades who have recently crossed the bar.
His request to the public is shared across generations: “Pay your respects to the fallen by reflecting on their sacrifice for one minute’s silence at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month each year.”
Sergeant Peter Gooch served with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) for 30 years, deploying to the Middle East with 36 Squadron in 2006.
He calls the minute a promise.
“I think of those who never came home, our fallen comrades. When I bow my head, I feel both sorrow and pride: sorrow for lives cut short and families left with only memories; pride because those we remember showed the very best of humanity, courage, loyalty, selflessness and mateship.”
His hope for younger West Australians is practical: “pause for a minute at 11am, wear a red poppy, attend a local ceremony if you can, and learn the names on your local memorial. Remembrance Day isn’t about glorifying war; it’s about honouring sacrifice and working for a more peaceful future.”
One thing that can be done now: add 11am, Tuesday November 11, 2025 to your calendar. Decide where you’ll pause, Kings Park, a local memorial or your front step and who you’ll check in with afterwards.
Need to talk? Open Arms, Veterans and Families Counselling (24/7): 1800 011 046.
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