SYDNEY, 15 May 2025 –
Ange Welsh-Hussain’s journey as a Gallipoli Scholar has been deeply shaped by her passion for the Australian military and her family’s military history. Through the Gallipoli Scholarship, she was able to experience life-changing moments, including participating in the Kokoda Youth Leadership Challenge (KYLC). Ange’s story exemplifies the values of courage, sacrifice, and mateship that are central to the Gallipoli Scholarship Fund’s mission.
“Throughout my Gallipoli scholarship journey, I have fostered an interest in the Australian military and the stories of service and sacrifice that shaped our nation. This love began during high school, where I embarked on a 10-day Youth Leadership voyage on Young Endeavour, which, along with a family military history, led me to receive an offer from the Royal Australian Navy, just before my offer to study Medicine at Flinders University. Receiving a Gallipoli scholarship not once but twice made it possible for me to apply and take part in the Kokoda Youth Leadership Challenge (KYLC).
Completing the Kokoda Track was the most life-changing experience I’ve ever been a part of. Kokoda tested every part of me – physically, mentally, and emotionally. The unending heat, the aching legs, the blisters, the tears. But surrounded by the raw beauty of the landscape – the majesty of mountain ridgelines, the quiet buzz of insects, and running water – I felt connected to something greater. Major Scott Babington (our trek guide) told us stories of those men who came before us, the ones we knew had shaped Australian history, but on that track, they became real to us, and the immensity of their work was understood.
We each received the name of a soldier who we learnt about and carried with us on the track. At the end, I stood at his grave and made a promise – to always do our best, to live with courage and integrity. It is that promise that we are all invited to make and live by, to go back into the world and act as they have taught us, to live in line with the values engraved at the memorial at Isurava: mateship, courage, sacrifice, and endurance.
The majesty of the landscape translates the scale of the battle the diggers faced, and it is impossible to not be in awe. The hushed buzz of insects against a backdrop of flowing water and the memory of the diggers created the most sacred places of commemoration I have ever been to.
I hope this ANZAC Day you all find a place to commemorate the soldiers who died at Kokoda and in every other conflict.
In memory of Captain Breton Langridge, 2nd/16th Australian Infantry Battalion
Died 08/09/1942, Brigade Hill, Papua New Guinea.
Who’s name I carry with me every day.”
Ange’s journey reflects the powerful impact the Gallipoli Scholarship Fund has on shaping the lives of young Australians, connecting them with our shared history of service and sacrifice. Her experiences in Kokoda and her commitment to carrying the legacy of the soldiers is a testament to the values of courage, mateship, and sacrifice that the Gallipoli Scholarship Fund promotes.
To support more scholars like Ange and continue preserving the legacy of ANZAC, we invite you to click here to contribute today.
