A service was held in Springwood on August 15 to commemorate the Victory in the Pacific, which marked the end of World War Two.
St Columba's Catholic College year 11 student Mollie Bauerhuit gave the address, asking the gathering "to take a moment to truly understand the sacrifices made".
Some 40,000 Australians did not return home to their families from World War Two, including more than 17,000 who lost their lives as a result of fighting in the war against Japan.
Mollie spoke of visiting Hiroshima and reading a man's story about his mum who had fallen ill from the atomic bomb radiation.
He had some words of wisdom. "Never take your own revenge. Revenge leads to a cycle of retaliation. Forgive and then forget," Mollie recounted.