ANZAC Day - April 25 - 2023
Friday, 28 April 2023

On the 25 April, the King’s College community gathered to commemorate Anzac Day 2023 and remember the 220 Old Collegians and staff who served their country during wartime and made the ultimate sacrifice.

We were privileged to have Colonel Tenby Powell join us as our guest speaker and deliver the Anzac Day Address this year. Col Powell has a number of family connections to the College with both his Grandfather, George Bolland Powell (1911-15) and his daughter Charlotte Powell (Middlemore, 2016-18) attending the College.

Col Powell is a well-known entrepreneur, community leader and politician in New Zealand and his contributions have earned him widespread recognition and respect. He has served in the Regular and Reserve Forces of the New Zealand Army since 1983 and from 2001-2002 he was the  Deputy Chief of a United Nations unit operating in the Middle East.  From2005-2007 he was Commanding Officer of the Auckland Battalion.

Most recently Col Powell has applied his business and military skills to establishing Kiwi K.A.R.E., a highly respected New Zealand flagged humanitarian and medical aid organisation operating in the Red Zones (the newly liberated areas and those towns and villages behind the Front Line) in Ukraine, delivering aid directly to front line hospitals and medical centres, and to residents who have remained in situ. 
 
Col Powell’s work with Kiwi K.A.R.E has meant that he has had some significant experiences with the recent war in the Ukraine. Some of you may have seen in recent New Zealand news, the convoy of seven disestablished St Johns ambulances that have made their way from Christchurch to Auckland, all bound for the Ukraine. Col Powell has been instrumental in the organisation of this, including being one of the drivers of the convoy and he will also accompany the Ambulances on their journey to the Ukraine.

During his Anzac Day Address Col Powell spoke to the congregation about Gallipoli and the incredibly tragic similarities being seen between World War I and the trench style conflict occurring in the Ukraine war of today.

This was the largest gathering we had seen at Anzac Day in a number of years and the KCOCA wish to thank all those students, staff, Old Collegians and families who joined us to make this a very special event.

We will remember them.

Virtus Pollet