Thursday 14 May 2015

ANZAC Day 2015

Well finally I have collected some photos to put in the blog. Sorry it has taken me so long but both Julie and I were away the following week.

About 5.30am on ANZAC Day, several of us from St Alban's came down to plant a number of poppies which some of us had made on Friday afternoon.These particular poppies were made mainly from old red shopping bags(eg. Liquorland) and tied on to the top of green dyed bamboo skewers which had black tufty centres glued to the top.  These poppies were easily planted in the sandy soil around the Tuncurry War Memorial.My husband also erected the ANZAC letters which had been made for us by the Men's Shed volunteers.

When we arrived there was a huge crowd gathered already. There ended up being over 3,000 people at this Dawn service. This photo shows some of the poppies around the paths and the seated crowd before the sun rose during the service. We just put up the ANZAC letters and planted poppies in the garden around the Lone Pine and they were very effective. We left placing poppies along the pathways until later.


After the Dawn service, and helped by Ted Bickford's young people, we lay out the poppies in double rows around the pathways.  4,500 poppies on Velcro strips were used to edge the pathways. While this was happening a number of people helped to lay out the sheets of poppies. These poppies were "stapled" on to sheets to make the massed display below the ANZAC letters.(approx. 9,000 poppies)

The 11am service started after the march came down Manning St. There was a slightly smaller crowd but many sat on the hill - around our poppy display and the ANZAC letters. We left the display until 3pm when the shadows were coming across and the atmosphere was getting damper. People had continued to come all afternoon to take photographs of this wonderful display to which so many of the community had contributed.

When the poppy sheets were all dried they were rolled up and packed in boxes. All the poppies are being stored by the RSL for display in coming years.

THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO HELPED TO MAKE THE

 GREAT LAKES 5000 POPPY PROJECT 

SUCH A SUCCESS.

Julie Davies and Margot Bilston - co-ordinators