MISSING PERSONS DAY

Don’t get me wrong. I attended the National Day of Mourning service at Rod Laver Arena yesterday and it was moving and uplifting and poignant with symbolism showing Australians coming together at a time of terrible tragedy. At short notice, people put together the stylish 90-minute service that was televised to grieving communities in the fire-ravaged regions and to a massive television audience around the nation. But. Something went terribly wrong. Where were the people?

Sure the dignitaries were there but there were at least 10,000 empty seats in an arena that holds 15,000. Twice as many people attended Richmond’s Family Day to see Ben Cousens.

The TV cameras tried to avoid the acres of empty seats and the Herald Sun today says ‘The Rod Laver Arena crowd was filled with people in the firefighters’ yellow overalls. Sadly, no it wasn’t.

 Was it because of mixed messages?  Maybe the public thought the Arena was only for survivors and their families and firefighters and emergency service people? And invited guests.

People were told they had to register by 5p.m. Friday. By then the organizers must have known there were still thousands of empty seats. Why didn’t somebody hit the airwaves alerting the public? Where were the crowds of 80,000 predicted for the surrounds. Did the fear of chaotic crowds scare people off? There were only a few hundred people at Federation Square. Many people in bush communities understandably elected to stay with their own.  For many the grieving was still too painful. Funerals still not held. The memorial service too soon.

Inside the Arena there was confusion about whether applause was permitted. And so the speech by Premier John Brumby, who has carried a heavy load since February the 7th, ended in silence. Likewise the Governor-General, Quentin Bryce. There was no applause until Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, delivered a message from her mother.

As a Republican, it seemed to me to be a needless foreign intrusion. But with Anne representing her Mum, where did protocol put the G-G and Governor David de Kretzer. Prime Minister Rudd, fittingly, spoke last, but maybe doing that he usurped the Queen’s representative.

Two other observations. I had never been a fan of Bruce Woodley’s  I am Australian. I was yesterday. His rendition, with new bushfire lyrics, sung with daughter Clare and Kinglake survivors Merelynn and David Carter brought tears to the eyes.

And, although this is politically incorrect, I thought the service was too Aboriginal. We had, the now obligatory, if ungrammatical, ‘Welcome to country.’ Then for some reason they dispensed with the usual opening bars of the national anthem and replaced it with Aboriginal rhythm sticks and an operatic version of Advance Australia Fair which, although beautifully sung, was almost impossible to sing along with and the anthem certainly did not ring out from the audience.

And for good measure lots of didgeridoo. But people’s hearts were in the right place. And it was a time that made you proud to be an Aussie.

© Copyright Derryn Hinch 2009