Day 121

Day 121 Canberra

We had a slowish start today. Maureen got into some washing and I went down to the bank. We

View of Airport Mt Ainslie

View of canberra

decided today to go to Mt Ainslie Lookout and have a view of the capital. The lookout is the highest overlooking Canberra and it has 360 degree views. You get a birds eye view of the capital and there is a board with the original plane shown on it and a picture of the view in 1930 and all there is was the Church in the middle of this huge plain, no river or lake and off towards the back is the interim parliament house, now called old parliament house. You compare the view now to the plan and you can see how

View of suburbia

View of farms

they stuck to it and even do so today. The Griffins were some futuristic viewers. The day was spectacular. There was not a cloud in the sky and the temperature was in the high 20’s maybe low 30’s, no wind, just perfect. There was a school group up there as well but no big issue. We had lunch there and sat and enjoyed the view.

Hellenic Memorial

Anyones son Memorial

From the Lookout we made our way back down to the War Memorial as we wanted to o the ANZAC Parade walk. The road leading up to the Memorial is called ANZAC Parade and on both sides are memorials to different services and campaigns. There are officially 11 memorials and as you walk down one side you see some and then up the other is another set. We did them in numerical order. The 1st was the

Korean war Memorial

Vietnam War Memorial

Australian Hellenic memorial. It covers the campaign in WWII in Greece and Crete. Our troops held the pass where the Spartans once held the Persians – you know the film 300, but due to air supremacy the Germans pushed us back until we were on Crete then they invaded there and captured a swag of soldiers. The 2  ^nd was the Australian Army memorial that covered the army since 1899 to today and the 7 pillars illustrated 7 major conflicts and is also known as the “anyones Sons” as anyones son could be called up and serve in the services. Obviously this and the others were erected before women took a more prominent role in our services, so some inscriptions seem a bit sexist now.

Maureen with her poppy

Me on ANZAC parade

The 3^rd was the Korean War Memorial that honoured those who fought in the Korean War. It has a forrest of steel poles in it with members of the services who fought there, navy army and airforce and one pole for each who died. We joined the war in 1950 after North Korea invaded South Korea and captured 90% of the country. UN stepped in and we captured back

Mounted Soldiers Memorial

Original horses head now Animal Memorial

90% of the peninsular back before China stepped in settled at the 26^th parallel. The 4^th is the Vietnam Memorial and it is a very modernist style memorial to those who fought in Vietnam. It has a Granite circle suspended over the centre and in it are the names of who did not make it home. There are also seats nearby with the names of those who are still listed as Missing in Action. The 5^th is the Mounted Corp Memorial. It has an unusual history in that it covers the troops who served in the desert in the 1916 to 1918, mostly mounted, Light

Left Handle

Me halfway

Horse, Camels, Cavalry units but it was originally erected in Port Said in 1917 and was paid for by the troops themselves who all donated a days pay in 1917 to pay for it. It was destroyed in the Suez Conflict – 1956 and a section of it, a horses head now stands in the gardens of the memorial as a memorial to all the animals who served and died in conflicts. In 1962, 2 copies were made of it and one was erected in Albany as that was where the servicemen wanted it as it was there gathering point before leaving Australia, and

Maureen half way

Right Handle

the other is here.

Rats of Tobruk memorial

Airforce memorial

At the end of the road and one on each side of the road is the ANZAC Memorial or New Zealand Memorial. It has these two arches. One on each side of the Parade and the epitaph, we each held a handle, indicating our cooperation and sharing of the load during conflict. The 7^th is the Rats of Tobruk Memorial. In December 1941 22,000 troops, of which 14,000 were Australian, held out against Rommel and the Desert Corp. the memorial was again originallyerected during the campaign but was destroyed during the war. They salvaged the Marble stone with the inscription on it that they stole from the steps of the local Post Office in Tobruk and brought it home and there it is. The 8 ^th was the RAAF Memorial to the airmen. The RAAF is the

Nurses Memorial

Navy Memorial

3^rd oldest independent Airforce in the world and is only 3 years younger than the RAF. The 9^th is the Royal Australian Nurses. They were formed the same year as the army in 1899 to go to the Boer War and have served in all conflicts since. The memorial is possibly the best or at least the most original as it is made of glass and is lit at night. The shape of it depends on what you read. The Memorial says it is the shape of 2 hands, the brochure says the artist made it to resemble the female curves! Depends which was the most politically correctess I suppose.

The 10^th is the RAN memorial and I must say it looks just like it was imported from Russia, real

Ataturk with Pine tree

Weary Dunlop

Soviet style blocky statue. It might look better covered in water as it was designed, but even still…. The last is the Ataturk Memorial to Kemal Ataturk the Turkish general who fought us in Gallipoli and who became the president of modern Turkey. It represents the good will that existed between the two countries despite the war, or more correctly, because of the war and how we fought it. There are pine trees around the memorial grown from the pine tree at Lone Pine. Lone Pine was the scene of some of the heaviest fighting of the campaign and was named after the lone pine that grew there until it was blown to smitherines. After the war they revisited the sight as a group of Australian troops had disappeared there during the campaign and no one knew what had happened to them after they were

Simpson and his Donkey

Just got to find a trailer now

cut off. Turns out they fought to the last man and the Turks sealed off the dugout as their grave and they were all still there. They recovered some pine seeds from the soil around it and one of the seedlings grew at the memorial so they grew some more for this memorial, fascinating stuff.

Ships Bridge and Gun

Captured German Rail Gun

We made it back in time for a cuppa and a quick walk around the outside of the museum. There are Guns from a couple of Ships, HMAS Australia (cruiser that was struck by 3 Kamakaze planes in the Philippines) and HMAS Adelaide a Destroyer. They also have a Centurion Tank there! They also have the huge barrel from a railroad gun that the troops captured from the Germans in WWI and brought home as a war prize. As it was just on 5, Maureen went in for the last post ceremony, I didn’t as I did not want to

Last Post ceremony

have the guys get all excited again, turns out the ramps were there already for some others, but never mind, I could hear it from outside.

Well the day was except to drive home and get some fuel and I think we are off to the Leagues Club for dinner.