Port Pirie United Nations Peacekeeping Memorial
RSL (Port Pirie Sub Branch) Inc.Australia has had peacekeepers in the field with the United Nations since 1947.
In Indonesia of that year, Australians were part of the very first group of UN military observers anywhere in the world, and were, in fact, the first into the field. Known as the Blue Berets, men and women are honoured on International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers annually on the 29th May. On this day, we pay tribute to the professionalism, dedication and courage of all the men and women serving in UN peacekeeping operations, and honour the memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace.
More than 4000 have died serving under the UN flag since 1947, including 16 Australians in Africa, Asia and the Pacific. Others have suffered injury and trauma.
Peacekeeping duties include clearing landmines, monitoring ceasefires, treating casualties, and supporting humanitarian aid and democratic elections.
Australians have served in 50 multinational peacekeeping operations, most recently in Afghanistan, Palestine, South Sudan and Namibia where the role of the Australian force was broad for an Army engineering unit, requiring the unit to "provide combat and logistic engineer support to UNTAG (United Nations Transition Assistance Group); this included the UN civilian and military components.
Its role included construction, field engineering and (initially) deployment as infantry to monitor the ceasefire and troop withdrawals, to preserve law and order in Namibia and to supervise elections for the new government; an extremely complex mission.
