Former WA Governor Kim Beazley honoured to be involved in Legacy Centenary Torch Relay in ‘our Anzac town’

Kim Beazley has described it as an enormous “honour” to be involved in the first Australian leg of the Legacy Centenary Relay and said for it to take place in Albany was “totally appropriate”. The former WA Governor and Federal defence minister was the relay’s first torchbearer on Wednesday. He had the honour of carrying a flame lit in France on April 23 from the Ellen Cove Amphitheatre to the start of the nearby boardwalk. He described the relay leg as “inspirational on so many levels” because Albany is “our Anzac town” and it was a celebration of one of our oldest organisations. “Legacy is so important for service men and women, and so important for all of us in encouraging people to be service men and women,” he said. “It’s important from that point of view, but it’s also important because we always promised the diggers we’d honour them forever and we do. “Albany has got many little nooks and sites which do exactly that in a very big way and it has that marvellous centre.” Before his torch was lit Mr Beazley told the gathered crowd, which included several military dignitaries, military personnel and State politicians, about his connection to Legacy. He told the Advertiser about how his mother’s father had picked up an illness in the Middle East while part of the 10th light horse regiment in World War I. He succumbed to the illness shortly after the birth of Mr Beazley’s mother, Betty, meaning that she never knew him. “My mother’s ‘Legacy father’ played a huge role in her life and a huge role in her education, she had an unbelievable education for that time — or for any time actually — and Legacy was just critical in keeping her on the road. “When she came back from Melbourne, she became the principal sports mistress at Perth Modern, but every week she would do activities with Legacy kids. “…. She really felt deeply about what Legacy did for her.” He said he had tried to persuade the relay’s organisers to try to get the Premier or current Governor to be the first torchbearer because “I didn’t think I was the right person to do it”. “I was grateful to be able to carry the torch for two reasons, firstly, the honour is so enormous and, secondly, because they only wanted me to walk a few yards,” he said. The flame was passed between 25 torchbearers as it was carried along the boardwalk from Binalup/Middleton Beach to Anzac Peace Park via Albany’s port. From there, torchbearers turned back towards Marine Drive before eventually making their way to the National Anzac Centre on Mt Adelaide. Fiona Williams had the honour of lighting a cauldron overlooking the King George Sound to bring the leg of the relay to a close. There will be two further WA legs of the relay after the torch leaves Albany: in Fremantle on May 5 and through the streets of Perth, culminating in a community fun day on May 6. From there the relay will travel to Adelaide and Darwin before a further 40 legs through Queensland, NSW, the ACT, Tasmania and Victoria.