Emergency workers have been applauded for giving up their Christmas to help others as communities across Australia grapple with the toll of natural disasters.
In his Christmas message, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said frontline workers did much to make this season of celebration and reflection possible.
“I want to say thank you to our medical workers and emergency personnel, our charity and hospitality workers and those serving in the Australian Defence Force here and overseas – everyone who has given up their Christmas to help others in our community,” he said on Tuesday.
“I do want to wish everyone the very best and a peaceful and joyful Christmas.”
Albanese will spend Christmas Day in Darwin, where commemorations are being held to mark
“The devastation that was felt during the Christmas time of 1970 still resonates today for the survivors of Cyclone Tracy,” he told reporters in Darwin.
“It’s important we reflect, that we honour those that lost their lives, but it’s also important that this is an opportunity for us to remind ourselves as a nation that at the worst of times we see the best of the Australian character.
“In the aftermath of this devastating cyclone we had individuals volunteer, we had people send up food, we had the Australian Defence Force commit to assisting with the re-building of this great city of Darwin.
“Time after time, that is part of the Australian story. We are so resilient.”
As residents in Australia’s north remember the devastation caused by one natural disaster, communities in the nation’s south were facing another as they battled raging bushfires.
“It is a chance for us to once again thank the first responders, thank all those in the emergency services, in fire and rescue, in our national parks and all of those who assist at times where it is difficult,” Albanese said.
“It is a difficult time over summer here in Australia. At the moment many Australians are experiencing that very much.”
Meanwhile, Opposition leader Peter Dutton celebrated Australian stoicism in the face of financial pressures in his Christmas message on Tuesday.
“With everything costing more, many Australians had to make do with less,” he said on Tuesday.
“The struggle was acute for so many Australians, and it will be a hard Christmas for many.
“I salute our charity workers, our food banks, and those feeding the poor and homeless who, although overstretched, are always outstanding in what they do.”
“Contending with financial pressures this year, Australians carried on with stoicism — as is the Australian way,” Dutton said.
“This Christmas, we spare a thought for those less fortunate and those doing it tough,” he said.
“Many of us will know individuals and families who really are struggling and where we can, we should reach out to those who might not be experiencing the spirit of Christmas.”
While many Australians may feel their burdens unbearable, the story of Christmas demonstrates that hope is ever-present, Reverend Charissa Suli, president of the Uniting Church in Australia, said.
“I hear stories of grief, fatigue, and isolation from communities across the country,” she said.
“Our world is in conflict. It can feel like hope is not enough.
“But the Christmas story speaks to these very struggles. Just like hope was born into poverty on that first Christmas, so is hope born into our broken world.”
Bishop Vincent Long, the Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Parramatta in Sydney’s west, similarly implored Australians not to become despondent in the face of adversity, but to take heart in the message of Christmas.
Dutton concluded his message with an acknowledgement of previous generations of Australians for making it the country it is today.
“We really are the custodians of their legacy,” he said.
“And may we ensure, as they did, that this nation is prosperous, secure, and united.
“From my family to yours, I wish all Australians a very happy, relaxing, and safe Christmas.”
