A day at the Hyde Park ANZAC Memorial

Imposing new entrance to ANZAC Memorial and displays inside the museum. Photographs by the author.

On August 10 the John Laffin Memorial Lecture day was held at the recently renovated ANZAC Memorial

The Hall of Service courtyard has a sample of earth from each locality given by First World War enlistees. Mosman and Spit Junction are represented, as photographed by the author below:

After the two talks: one on headstones and identification of unmarked graves; the second about the Conscription debate that divided Australia during the war¹ , participants were given a guided tour of the new Museum and Library.

The Museum has permanent and current exhibitions. The Library has an interesting collection, which includes original maps. One of northern France provided a challenge, but we eventually found locations we were looking for, including the approximate crash site of the Red Baron near Hamel.²

‘1919: A time to mourn, a time to hope’ exhibition. Photograph by the author.

Display relating to the 1914-18 air war. 3 Sqn. pilot, Nigel Love. Photograph by the author.

In the afternoon, Doing Our Bit founder Bernard de Broglio gave a talk, ‘Traces of the the First World War in Sydney’s streets and civic spaces’. Like previous addresses it was interesting, educational and entertaining. Some of the content can be found in a previous online article for the City of Sydney.

The presentation referenced research done during the project: The Emden gun in Hyde Park³; the beer-fuelled riot by recruits in February, 1916,⁴ and Margaret Preston’s comments about the Cenotaph at Martin Place.⁵

Presenter with image of Emden gun. Photograph by the author.