Tuesday, April 25, is Anzac Day, a day of national remembrance for all Australians who have lost their lives in military and peacekeeping operations Australia has been involved in.
It is a day of significance for all Australians, but to some, it has added meaning.
Goulburn-Murray Water Electrical and Mechanical Services manager Craig Rowden spent 21 years in the Royal Australian Navy.
During this time, Craig held various positions across four different warships (HMAS Darwin, HMAS Parramatta, HMAS Sydney and HMAS Perth), beginning as a trainee electronics technician before eventually becoming a weapons electrical officer with an honours degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
“I was fortunate to be part of a lot of different operations whilst working on the ships,” Craig said.
“No two days were same, and I was involved in operations such as pirate patrols, border protection, and peacekeeping missions; there was a lot of variety.”
Craig said among the most memorable experiences was being part of the peacekeeping response to the East Timorese crisis in 1999.
He was serving on HMAS Darwin, which was one of the first Australian warships sent into Dili, East Timor’s capital, to establish and maintain peace.
“It was an active war zone when we arrived there,” he said.
“Dili harbour and the city itself were essentially burning to the ground.”
Craig spent the initial weeks working on board the ship but was eventually allowed to go ashore.
“I had been on the boat for 48 days straight,” he said.
“Some of the crew and I were fortunate to be able to go ashore to help rebuild places and construct command posts for the Australian Army.”
“It seemed like everything in Dili had been set fire to or blown up. But as we drove around the East Timorese were coming out and waving, they were just so happy to see the Australians there to help.”
After leaving the Navy, Craig spent a few years in project manager roles, including one at the Port of Echuca, maintaining the paddleboats.
He joined G-MW in July 2022 and said it enabled him to return to what he enjoyed most.
“It has been great to get back into electrical engineering because that is what I am really passionate about,” he said.
“My co-workers are fantastic; it’s the people that make G-MW the place that it is.
This Anzac Day, Craig is headed to Canberra with his wife, Marnie, who also served in the Navy and who also now works at G-MW, along with their daughter Matilda.
“It’s an incredibly important day for us,” he said.
“We always meet up with friends who we served with. These friends share amazing experiences, life-long memories and are family, so it’s special to be able to share the day with them to commemorate Anzac Day.”