The PR Blog

The Adelaide River Stakes is the name given to the mass exodus of people prior to and following the Japanese air-raid in Darwin on 19^th February, 1942.

Thanks mainly to an ill-informed statement by a former Governor General, Paul Hasluck, that it is a story full of shame for our national persona, but it is a myth.

The truth is that with much closer examination it was anything but a shameful episode in our most serious year of peril.

The propaganda disseminated by the government of the day was based on inadequate information, over-the-top censorship and a failure to take the population into its confidence.

The faults lie with a succession of failed civilian and military administrations which, like the behaviour of most politicians, was a deliberate trail of cover-ups and refusal to admit fault.

This is a story that might seem to be long winded to focus on a single event in 1942 but in order to correct the imbalance that persists, even today, in the interests of completeness it is necessary to look back to the source of Japan’s belligerence in WW2. It is a long story that will appear in several episodes.

'So we marched into the sea and when we got out to about waist level they then machine gunned from behind."

The words of the sole survivor of the horrific massacre of  Radji Beach on Banka Island off the coast of Sumatra. 

On 16 February 1942, Japanese soldiers machine-gunned 22 Australian World War II Army nurses and killed 60 soldiers and crew members from 2 sunken ships. 

From the 22 Nurses shot on that day, there was only one sole survivor, Sister Vivian Bullwinkel.

Valentine's Day. The time of year when love is in the air, and florists start seeing dollar signs. But have you ever stopped to wonder how this holiday of hearts, flowers, and overpriced chocolates came to be?

Legend has it that Valentine's Day traces its roots back to ancient Rome. There are a couple of different origin stories floating around, but one involves a Christian martyr named St. Valentine who was executed by Emperor Claudius II for secretly marrying couples against his decree. 

Another tale suggests that Valentine was a rebel saint who defied the Emperor's orders and continued to perform marriages in secret because, well, love conquers all. 

St. Valentine, the mysterious figure at the heart of Valentine's Day, has captured the imagination of romantics and historians alike. While the details of his life are shrouded in mystery and legend, his legacy as the patron saint of love and affection has endured through the ages.

The Fall of Singapore on 15 February 1942 was more than just a military catastrophe - it was the shattering of an empire’s illusion of invincibility. As British defenses crumbled and Japanese forces swept through the city, a different kind of courage emerged from the chaos.

Amid the bombs, fires, and screams of the wounded, Australian army nurses upheld a duty that was more than just medical...it was an act of old-fashioned patriotism, a selfless devotion to country and comrades. Refusing to abandon their patients, they worked tirelessly in makeshift hospitals, tending to the broken and dying, even as enemy forces closed in. 

Some, like those aboard the doomed Vyner Brooke, met brutal deaths at the hands of their captors, while others, like the six nurses on the Wah Sui, barely escaped with their lives.

Their actions embodied a time when duty to nation and fellow man was not just expected, but instinctive - when the call to serve was answered not with hesitation, but with unwavering resolve. Every man and woman, soldier and nurse, deserves to be remembered. And honoured. 

A family is like a great ship navigating the sometimes stormy seas of life. At the helm stands the father, strong and steady, charting the course. Beside him, his wife is the trusted co-pilot, offering guidance, balance, and unwavering support.

Their children, the eager crew, look to them for direction, learning the virtues of discipline, teamwork, and perseverance. Together, they sail forward - not without challenges, but always with purpose - bound by love, faith, and the shared mission of reaching a bright and promising horizon.

I confess. I'm a Man. My wife is a woman. Our children are boys and girls. 

This statement is probably offensive to some people. 

Fortunately, I live in America, where to say such a thing is not against the law. Yet there are places where the very idea that I say this could offend someone could mean I am breaking the law is ridiculous. 

As America recovers from having been off course, so many countries are still heading to the rocks.