The Principal, Term 2 Week 3 2026

ANZAC Day Reflection

ANZAC Day holds a place of profound significance in the life of Pulteney Grammar School. It is not simply a date on the calendar, but a living expression of our history, our values, and our enduring promise to remember.

In a recent opinion piece, David Penberthy reflected on a growing concern that younger Australians may be losing their connection to the stories of ANZAC. He argued that schools play a vital role in preserving these stories, ensuring that the sacrifice, courage and spirit of those who served are not diminished by time. At Pulteney, this responsibility is deeply understood and wholeheartedly embraced.

Our connection to service and sacrifice is not abstract, it is personal. We honour 172 Old Scholars who lost their lives in war, and three more whose lives were taken by the unseen wounds of service. Among them are boys like George Seager, just 17 years old, and Glen Morphett, who died at Gallipoli only days after the landing. These are not distant figures; they are part of our story, our community, and our identity.

That connection has been brought into sharp and moving focus through the remarkable story of Old Scholar Colin Wagener. More than 85 years after he first served his country, Colin, now aged 108, has helped ensure that the story of another Pulteney student, Private Arthur Hollow, is not forgotten. Through a serendipitous discovery, Arthur’s medal, long separated from him, was returned to his memorial place at the Menin Gate in Ypres, carried there by our current students.

Arthur Hollow was just 24 when he was killed in action on the Western Front in 1917. Like our students today, he once walked the grounds of Pulteney. That simple truth bridges more than a century and reminds us that the cost of war is measured in human lives, full of promise and potential.

Our students participating in the ANZAC Commemorative Study Tour experienced this connection firsthand. From London to Paris, and among the solemn Commonwealth War Cemeteries of France and Belgium, they walked in the footsteps of history. Standing before the graves of Old Scholars, they gained a deeper understanding of sacrifice. not as an idea, but as a reality. Their reflections speak of humility, gratitude, and a growing sense of responsibility to carry these stories forward.

Closer to home, over 20 of our students and staff gathered at the Dawn Service at the Soldiers’ Memorial Gardens. In a moving tribute, our student leaders shared a reading and laid a wreath on behalf of the School, paying their respects to those who have fallen, those who have served, and those who continue to serve in our armed forces. It was a powerful expression of remembrance and gratitude, and a reflection of the values we seek to instil in our young people.

Here at school, our commitment to remembrance is embedded in our physical spaces and daily life. Nicholls Wing, opened in 1920 as a memorial to those who served in the First World War, stands as a lasting tribute. The War Memorial Room in Wheaton House, dedicated in 2013, continues this tradition, ensuring that each generation encounters and reflects upon the legacy entrusted to them.

We also honour those who have served in more recent times, including Old Scholars like Colin Wagener and Peter Bogatec, whose lives of service remind us that the ANZAC spirit did not end with past conflicts but continues in new forms today.

ANZAC Day calls us to remember, but also to act. It challenges us to consider how we might live lives worthy of the freedoms secured by others. It asks us to embody values of courage, service, resilience and mateship in our own context.

At Pulteney, we remain steadfast in our commitment to educating our students about the realities of war, the weight of sacrifice, and the importance of remembrance. We do this not out of obligation, but out of deep gratitude.

As a community, we pause to honour those who gave everything. We give thanks for their service. And we renew our promise: that their stories will be told, their sacrifices remembered, and their legacy carried forward by each new generation of Pulteney students.

Below are two stories that appeared in the Advertiser. Please click the images to read the articles.

Lest we forget.

Greg Atterton
Principal