24/04/2020
Breaker Bay circa June 1919, when a lone salt factory stood on this stretch of Wellington coast. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Germany and Allied Powers gathered in Paris to sign the Treaty of Versailles, putting an official end to World War 1. A war costing 40 million military and civilian casualties, of which 36,141 New Zealand and Australians fell at the Battle of Gallipoli.
As we all shelter in place fighting a new type of world war, let us remember a time when flighting the common enemy meant running into a battlefield, gun in hand, facing eminent death. Our war now involves Netflix and chill while fresh food gets delivered to our front door, yet somehow we manage to find something to complain about. I suppose hardship is proportional to prosperity.
May we never forget those that sacrificed their lives for liberty...a condition I’m hopeful will return in full.
