By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
AS THE centenary of the start of World War I looms, 15-year-old Travis Reid will soon walk in his great-grandfather’s shoes.
The Fountain Gate Secondary student was this month awarded the 2013/14 Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Prize by Denis Naptine, and as a result will travel overseas in April for a study tour of World War I battlefield sites.
Travis’s great-grandfather Archibald Reid fought in World War I as part of the 3rd Divisional Signals Company.
“My dad’s grandfather was in the regiment, so that was a bit of inspiration,” Travis said.
For his service in World War I, Archibald was awarded the Bronzian District Medal, while he also received several accolades for his involvement in World War II, including the British War Medal, the Victory Medal, the War Medal and the Australia Service Medal.
Travis, 15, applied for the Anzac Prize through his humanities class at school, in which the award had been set as a class project. Along with other classmates, Travis wrote an essay on what can be learned from the Anzac spirit.
“I talked about the spirit of the Anzacs and its relevance to today,” Travis said.
“I discussed natural disasters, the Eureka Stockade, the National Disability Scheme, earthquakes and bushfires, to show how people work together through hard times.”
Belina Irving, Travis’s humanities teacher last year, said she put a strong emphasis on “teaching commemoration in the classroom”.
“Travis had a unique perspective on the question and looked at the Anzac spirit as something that was not originally forged in war but in the building of Australia as a nation,” she said.
“He argued that the Anzac spirit was forged on the gold fields and in the ‘Aussie battler’.”
The Anzac Prize tour will see the group explore Greece, Istanbul, Gallipoli, Turkey, Belgium and Paris.
Ms Irving accompanied Anzac Prize recipients on their tour last year and spoke highly of the experience Travis is about to have.
“The trip is a once in a life time experience to bear witness to the amount of lives lost during the war and commemorate the Anzac spirit that would have seen them through the tough times,” Ms Irving said.
“To stand on the shores of Gallipoli which are very much like home, to stand among a sea of white headstones signifying the generation of men lost to war, to hear the ode read at Vimy or Lone Pine, is a very humbling experience and will help Travis’s understanding of the sheer magnitude to which our diggers sacrificed their lives.
“It is a trip which every Australian should do at least once in their lifetime, before their sacrifice is truly forgotten.”
Premier Denis Napthine, who attended the award ceremony as well as Ted Baillieu, praised Travis’s efforts earlier this month.
“With almost 500 entries submitted this year, Travis should feel extremely proud for being selected as one of the recipients of the prize,” Dr Napthine said.
“The Victorian Government is pleased to offer a competition that inspires students to learn more about the Anzacs and about World War I.”
