On the eve of the 66th anniversary of the fall of Singapore and the bombing of Darwin, the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Alan Griffin, today reaffirmed the Rudd Government's intention to declare Battle for Australia Day as a national day of observance.

Mr Griffin said it was important to commemorate those Australian men and women who fought and died protecting our nation.

"The Battle for Australia was a significant part of our military history when, during World War 2, our nation faced some of its darkest hours,"
Mr Griffin said.

"On 15 February 1942 at 8.30pm, British commander Lieutenant General Percival ordered all British and Commonwealth troops in Singapore to lay down their arms.

"In resisting the Japanese advance in Malaya and Singapore some 1800 Australians lost their lives. The surrender resulted in 15,000 Australians being taken prisoner."

In a press statement on 16 February 1942, then Prime Minister John Curtin predicted the beginning of war on Australian soil:

The fall of Singapore opens the Battle for Australia ...
What the Battle for Britain required, so the Battle for Australia requires ... Our honeymoon has finished.

"Four days after the fall of Singapore, war came to Australian shores when two air raids were launched on Darwin," Mr Griffin said.

"The attacks caused a massive amount of damage, with more than 250 people killed and hundreds more injured."

Mr Griffin said work was underway for the Governor-General to issue a proclamation to observe Battle for Australia Day on the first Wednesday in September each year. It will not be a public holiday, nor an alternative to Anzac Day or Remembrance Day.

"We must honour our armed forces for their service in Australia and throughout the south-west Pacific area and those who served on the home front during those difficult times," Mr Griffin said.

"We owe a debt of gratitude to those who put their lives on the line for our country. 66 years on, we stop to reflect on these horrific events that helped shape our nation and remember those who lost their lives to protect our freedom and way of life."