ANZAC Day 2021

 ANZAC day commemorates the heroic services of Australian and New Zealand troops overseas since the first world war starting in 1914, and memorises those who unfortuantely lost their lives in the process. It occurs annually on 25th April 2015, the date on which ANZAC troops took part on the ill-fated invasion of Turkey at now what is called Anzac Cove. In the follwing 8 monts until the surviving troops were evacuated to Egypt, c. 11,500 AUstralian and New Zealand troops were killed. Turkey was targeted because that country supported the German and Austrian participants in the first world war.

Every year since the 1920s Australia has declared a public holiday to commemorate not just the Turkish campaign, but also Australians who served in a long chain of military events including the second world war (especially the campaign against Japan); the Korean War; Vietnam War; and conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan; or East Timor. We've side with Americans in nearly all those events.

Anyway here are some pictures of Armidale's event last Sunday. Armidale's celebratory march started at the former courthouse in Armidale's CBD and headed to a remembrance service in Central Park a few hundred meters away. Here we see some troops assembling for the start of the march and also members of the public watching this process.

Here we have am American jeep with left-hand steering carrying older participants unable to join the parade on foot.

I have a video of the march itself which I can distribute to those requesting it, but it lasts a while and is rather too large to pin here. After we reached Central Park a large crowd of maybe a couple of thousand people stationed themselves in a large circle around the central memorial.

He we see a group army personel marching to a position south-west of the memorial to await their turn on proceedings.

Many  people were seated for the event like these to the north.

And here's the podium from which most of the speeches were made, with presenters jus to the right.

Some of the speakers / presenters / singers were senior kids from local high schools (Armidale, with a population of just 25,000 has 5 high schools, four of them private. The guy here is from TAS (The Armidale School).

Here have community leaders, including UNE's Vice-Chancellor and Chancellor.

A military figure discussed the roles of defence forces and their contribution to the nation.

This was followed by wreath-laying by a lrage array of community groups - maybe some 20 to 30 of them, while uniformed military personnel stood guard with weapons inverted.

At various points in the ceremony addressses were delivered by clergy and prayers said. In addtion, the Armidale band played the national anthems of both Australia and New Zealand and also famous songs or tunes of national significance. Alas, I couldn't upload these either because they're in the wrong file format. After about one hour the proceedings closed and people haooily headed off home.

I might add one other experience. We had a fly past just before the march and the airforce jst was incredibly low and fast. It must have been travelling at c. 900 kph and was deafening. It also frightened masses of Corellas (large white parrots, hundreds of which fled to the air in large white clouds).

AS