On Wednesday 9th May in Sydney, 2010 John Monash Scholar Zelie Wood and former Foundation Chairman and Australian of the Year General Peter Cosgrove spoke at the annual Monash Commemorative Service at Moriah College in Sydney.
The Monash Commemorative Service, in its seventh year in Sydney, is organised by the Spirit of Australia Foundation, and was jointly hosted by Moriah College (a jewish school) and Waverley College (a catholic school). Over 150 students from 10 schools attended, as well as 50 other guests.
Zelie Wood is an outstanding young lawyer with a deep interest in human rights law. She has had a number of associate positions with leading Australian judges, and used her John Monash Scholarship to complete a Masters in Law with distinction at Cambridge University (UK). Zelie currently works in the Crown Solicitors' Office in NSW. Zelie spoke to the Service about John Monash's passion for education, and urged all to continue to seek learning. "John Monash had a love of learning for learning's sake… He took every opportunity to expand and broaden his mind". She argued that his outstanding knowledge contributed to his leadership capabilities, believing that "breadth of knowledge is as important as depth". Zelie herself has lived to this ideal, having been the only Year 12 student in NSW who studied Ancient Greek in her final year, and believed that it trained her mind in logic and the art of rhetoric. She urged students to: "take this time to pursue learning and broaden your skills… What you learn now will impact the course of your life". To download a copy of Zelie's speech in full click here.
General Cosgrove, an alumnus of Waverley College, also spoke powerfully about John Monash as "one of this nation's finest leaders – not just a military leader but a leader for all seasons".
Image courtesy of Nadine Saacks, Moriah College