This is the State War Memorial in Kings Park, overlooking the city of Perth and the Swan River. It really has a beautiful outlook over the city. This is where they hold the Perth Dawn Service on Anzac Day - the sun comes up behind the memorial. I took this photo when we were there last Sunday. You can walk under the memorial, where are the names of Western Australian's who lost their lives in war. My Great-Uncle who died at Gallipoli has his name on this wall.
In the front of this image you can see the eternal flame.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.
I read the poem below in a poetry book "A Show of Colours - Poems of the Yilgarn" by Glen Phillips (CREATEC, Edith Cowan University, Mount Lawley, WA)
I thought it fitted the theme for today and recalls the time when young men full of adventure left their families behind..............
Station 6 - Perth by Glen Phillips
Troop trains drew out of arched precincts
where the mightly clock ruled over parallel
platforms, where men with lamps and whilstles
waved flags and kept everything on time.
Mother shepherded our little flock
fortified with penny ice-creams
as bands played stirring wartime tunes,
while girl friends and younger brothers
enviously ran beside moving compartments
where khaki-clad soldier boys whistled and grinned
and stowed their kit bags and rifles clumsily
as their last train drew slowly out.
With surprise we saw real tears run
down our mum's face into her ice-cream cone.
Outside the station, horse-drawn wagons waited
and the street photographer in thin and shabby suit
flashed and handed us his ticket. Later
when we viewed the family snap it was sad
the only one missing the action was our dad.
I read the poem below in a poetry book "A Show of Colours - Poems of the Yilgarn" by Glen Phillips (CREATEC, Edith Cowan University, Mount Lawley, WA)
I thought it fitted the theme for today and recalls the time when young men full of adventure left their families behind..............
Station 6 - Perth by Glen Phillips
Troop trains drew out of arched precincts
where the mightly clock ruled over parallel
platforms, where men with lamps and whilstles
waved flags and kept everything on time.
Mother shepherded our little flock
fortified with penny ice-creams
as bands played stirring wartime tunes,
while girl friends and younger brothers
enviously ran beside moving compartments
where khaki-clad soldier boys whistled and grinned
and stowed their kit bags and rifles clumsily
as their last train drew slowly out.
With surprise we saw real tears run
down our mum's face into her ice-cream cone.
Outside the station, horse-drawn wagons waited
and the street photographer in thin and shabby suit
flashed and handed us his ticket. Later
when we viewed the family snap it was sad
the only one missing the action was our dad.
It's a beautiful place for a memorial. All those brave Canadians, New Zealanders and Austrailians who headed off to faraway places to fight battles they thought they'd left in the Old World - they were so brave.
ReplyDeleteGreat shot, Jill....a wonderful tribute....have a great weekend!
ReplyDeletemtdvetter - through FLickr
Beautiful tribute Jill to all that have served their countries
ReplyDeleteP40MAN/John - through Flickr
What a lovely memorial, and a beautiful photo. Such an appropriate sentiment for those who have given so much.
ReplyDeleteTenzins Mom - through Flickr
To find the grave of my grandfather at Hill 60 at Gallipoli was the object of a weekend visit from Istanbul.We had booked through a tour operator there but a few days from departure from Sydney,I contacted them top confirm they would take us to Hill 60 and they said they do not go to that part of the peninsular on their tours.I cancelled right away and, luckily,in that weekend's newspaper's travel section was a letter from a person who had booked with directly in Istanbul so I emailed them and was told www.privatetoursinistanbul.com they could take us to Hill 60 at no extra cost.A coffee break half way after 2 1/2 hours allowed us to stretch our legs. On the final part of the 5 hour journey,a tape was played outlining the history of the Dardenelles-Gallipoli campaign in 1915. Upon arrival at the Maydos waterside restaurant we were given lunch on the terrace wirth a wonderful view across the Dardenelles then we were off to the Brighton Beach site (one beach south of Anzac Cove and we were shown large maps of the area nd our guide explained the topography and battles shown on the map and the sites we would be visiting that afternoon.After the rather complete and highly interesting afternoon tour which included a visit to the local museum, we were taken back to restaurant and boarded a cruiser for the short crossing of the Dardenelles to Cannakale.. This in itself was a bonus as one could view the Gallipoli peninsular and grasp the view which eluded so many in rthe 1915 campaign when only a few Australian soldiers reached the peaks and saw the Dardenelles which we were now crossing,only to be beaten back by the Turks under the leadership of Attaturk later reforming President of Turkey.Included in the tour was a Sunday morning tour of Troy- that most elusive and explored city which Homer wrote about some 1200 years BC with Helen, the beauty being kidnapped by Paris and the resulting Trojan War which saw Troy VI destroyed only to be rebuilt at least 5 more times! There is a wooden horse there now but the original is said to have been a seige engine. driver and a guide to go north to Hill 60 to find my grandfather's grave. Through some wheat fields and onto a low knoll and here we were- the first persons to ever visit his grave, front row extreme right hand end.Only 44 graves, some 930 all buried in common grave, the action was made up of left-overs from various regiments,Aussies,New Zealanders ,British in this, the last main battle of the campaign.They were all wiped out in 2 days. An Australian flag, some gum leaves and a red poppy we left on the grave stone- it is a lonely place,sad and gut wrenching when one sees the absolute wastage in human lives-Back to Istanbul on the coach with memories and a feeling that we had, at least fulfilled one of life's ambitions!
ReplyDeletethank you so much for this insight into your trip to Gallipoli. One day I would like to go. My Great-Uncle is buried there in an unmarked grave.
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