"In the beginning"

Disclaimer

The views expressed in this blog are not necessarily the views of the blog management, (on the other hand, they are not necessarily not the views of the blog management).

No effort has been made to stay within the bounds of the truth in this blog as it has always been the view of the management that the truth should never be allowed to stand in the way of a good story.

Friday, November 10, 2006

Remembrance Day


Update; A very Happy Birthday to
Lee

Remembrance Day November 11th 2006


Ariel view of Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance, looking toward
the city centre

Front view of the Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance.

This post has been written about the Melbourne Shrine as it was the place I learned about our wartime involvement as a youngster growing up in suburban Melbourne

Melbourne’s most recognizable landmark, the Shrine of Remembrance, is Victoria’s memorial to the service & sacrifice of its men & women in times of conflict. This magnificent & significant monument, one of the largest war memorials in the world, commands views of the city & surrounds from the upper balconies.

It was built between July 1928 and November 1934 in remembrance of those 114 000 men and women of Victoria who served, and those who died, in the Great War of 1914-1918.

The Shrine and its landscape are a striking and moving tribute to those who fought in both world wars and subsequent conflicts. It was designed by Hudson and Wardrop

A broad ceremonial approach lined with Bhutan cypress climbs the slope to a large forecourt in the shape of a cross. The symmetrical layout of paths radiating from the Shrine into the surrounding landscape is balanced by trees arranged informally in the spacious lawns.

The trees are a mixture of Australian and exotic species, evergreen and deciduous. Most carry commemorative plaques representing units of the Army, Airforce, Navy, Women’s Services, and Commonwealth and Allied countries.

The first such memorial tree was a beech from France, planted in soil from the trenches of Verdun to commemorate that battle. In 1932 a seedling was planted that had been propagated from a cone gathered at Gallipoli. It came from the lone pine that gave the battleground its name, and was dedicated to the 24th Battalion.

The Gallipoli Memorial stands in the shade of the lone pine. The nearby Garden of Appreciation, planted with Flanders poppies on Remembrance Day, marks the main entrance from Birdwood Avenue into the Reserve.

At eleven AM on the eleventh day of the eleventh month a shaft of light from a skylight high in the shrine hits an altar with a wreath upon it, as a trumpet sounds the Last Post, and the Nation comes to a halt for two minutes of silence and remembrance.

The interior of Melbourne's Shrine is just as spectacular as the outside.

We are fortunate in that we share this day with all the countries that
made up the Allied Forces... Lest We Forget.



16 comments:

Walker said...

It's a beautiful momument representing selfless acts of courage.
As we celebrate Remembrance Day Saturday we will gather at our war Memorial.
Its a shame that we have to have these reminders of what freedom costs.
Very nice post

Merle said...

Hi Peter ~ Good post. Now see mine.
It is interesting that it is celebrated the same day in Canada.
I think Veteran's Day is same day in the US. Britain will be tomorrow I
think. Take care, Merle.

Margaret said...

Hi Peter, great post I remember well the view of the Shrine from the St Kilda road trams. I have also paid regular visits to it in a past life. Sadly Peter, Kate doesn't do photos.
Cheers Margaret

Anonymous said...

That is truly a beautiful shrine Peter. I can only imagine how breathtaking it is in person. Thanks for the great pictures.

kenju said...

I'd love to tour that, Peter. Thanks for posting about it.

Rachel said...

Oh, that is a grand place indeed, inside and out! Love the aerial view.

Yes, tomorrow we remember those who have fought so that we have freedom. Thanks to all of them!!

Enjoy your weekend.

Anonymous said...

Tomorrow is Veteran's Day here in the States. My father was in WWI.
He often talked of the llth day, llth month and llth hour. He was in France when the Armistice was signed.
Thanks for broadening my knowledge. I did not know how many countries celebrate on this day.

Davoh said...

And some of us get sookie-ly soppy on this day trying to remember fathers who never came back from the SECOND attempt at "the war to end all wars".

"..at the going down of the sun, and in the morning.."

Anonymous said...

Hi Peter ~ I hope Lee has had a lovely birthday. I could not leave her a comment. "They" wont accept my user name. Some days they don't ask for it and some they do. The Shrine always looks so terrific, guess we take it for granted. Take care, Merle

DellaB said...

"We are fortunate in that we share this day with all the countries that made up the Allied Forces..."

Peter, I hadn't really ever thought about that before today, when I've been reading posts from other blogs not in Australia and realised.

Great presentation you have here, thankyou...

wazza said...

Great post Peter. It's good to see that more young people are "getting more into our history and heritage of our wartime past". Just to see more younger folks going to visit Gallipoli at Anzac Cove and attend services on Rememberance Day shows that our fallen heroes did not die in vain. Without the efforts of our soliders our future would not be as good as it is. Truely "Lest We Forget" should never be forgotten.

Katherine said...

Great tribute - the shrine is beautiful. I love that 11/11/11 sunlight shaft - amazing!

Puss-in-Boots said...

Great post for Remembrance Day, Peter. What a beautiful shrine and the overhead shot is magnificent! Thank you for that.

Granny said...

Another Australian friend wrote about this as well. It's beautiful.

Meow (aka Connie) said...

Great post, Peter. The Shrine is a magnificent place. Haven't been there for years, though. Time for a visit with Chicky, perhaps !?!?
Take care, Meow

Lee said...

Great post, Peter. :)

I've been 'missing in action' for the past couple of days...party was terrific on Saturday and then with all the cleaning up and putting away, time has flown by without leaving me any time to blog!

Thanks for your birthday wishes, Peter! :) I had a terrific time!