Blog Day 33: Saturday 25 April 2020 - Anzac Day

I know that you are all eagerly waiting on the results of last night's zoom trivia.  Well, after 5 rounds of very excellent questions composed by and asked by yours truly the Mexicans gave the FNQers a good thrashing by two points with the final scores being 39 points to 37.  Well done to all concerned.

As we would all be aware it is a very different Anzac day this year with social isolation and various levels of quarantining effecting us all.  

My early recollections of Anzac day go back to my childhood in Burnie.  Pretty much every adult male I knew was a returned serviceman from TGW or the 2ndWW.  I won't use the term veteran here, because that wasn't a term that was used in Australia at that time.  The men referred to themselves as "returned men" or "ex serviceman". To be a member of the RSL, which stood for Returned Services League, you had to be a returned man, that is somebody who had served overseas or in certain declared zones of Australia. I don't know when the term "veteran" came into common usage in Australia.

Anzac day was a big day in Burnie, starting with a dawn service at the Burnie cenotaph and then a march through the town with a public service at the cenotaph and then in the afternoon the schools from along the North West coast attended the Anzac Day school sports at West Park oval.  After the schools sports were discontinued Anzac day afternoon was often the first mushrooming foray for the season.

In those days the dawn service was a simple and very solemn event attended mainly by the ex servicemen, it wasn't a place for families and the general public.  I am talking about the early 1960's when there were a lot of men in the Burnie area who had served in either or in some cases both world wars.  Later in the morning there was a march through the town which included the ex servicemen but also community groups such as the Cubs and the various cadet units (including yours truly).  The march ended at the cenotaph and then the public service took place.  This event was always well attended and in my memory always took place on a sunny autumn day although I am sure that wasn't always the case.

Burnie Cenotaph Anzac Day 2009

View west from Burnie Park after dawn service 2009

Anzac Day service Burnie 2009
I have included some photos from Anzac Day 2009 when I was in Burnie for some quality family time (hi quality family if you are reading this).  I had to use these photos as in the early 60's we didn't all have a camera in our Cubs shorts pocket.

I may continue the Anzac theme tomorrow with a description of a more recent Anzac day service that I have attended.  O goody I hear you all say.

And before I go, one of my many readers has asked if I did the stand at the front gate thing this morning.  No I didn't, for two reasons.  First up I forgot to set the alarm and secondly I think that I do plenty of remembrance and commemoration stuff through the year without having to get up at 5.00 in the morning.


Current Virus Stats Day 110

Vic: 1,346 (+3 from previous day) - 16 deaths (increase 0)
Aus: 6,692 (+18 from previous day) - 80 deaths (increase 2)
Recovered: 5,136
World:2,790,986







Comments

  1. Lyn25 April 2020 at 14:59

    Hi back from your quality family(pleased to know we here are recognised). Was only discussing last night about the fact I should be getting the old cane basket off the cupboard in the kitchen ready to go mushrooming. You were probably too young to go with dad when he come home from the dawn service, then in the afternoon we all went in the Vauxhall with mum and nan while dad and pop went to the RSL club.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Graeme26 April 2020 at 11:55

      It has to be quality there aint much quantity left! Ahh, yes, the memories of mushrooming, being chased by bulls, the smell of cow shit on your gumboots and deciding if a mushroom was edible or deadly, so much fun.

      Delete
  2. Lee_O26 April 2020 at 12:23

    Graeme can we see some pics of you as a kid and in your 20s

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lyn26 April 2020 at 14:07

      Probably just as well that I don't know how to put photos on here.

      Delete
    2. Graeme26 April 2020 at 14:18

      As I was the third child, the novelty had worn off by the time I came along so there are no photos of me as a kid or in my 20's. We were also very poor and couldn't afford a camera.

      Delete
    3. Lyn26 April 2020 at 19:46

      You want a bet on the fact that you reckon no photos of you. Money may keep you safe.

      Delete
    4. Graeme27 April 2020 at 11:24

      Control of this blog will keep me safe.

      Delete
    5. Lee_O29 April 2020 at 07:58

      Yay!! I can't wait! I cant even imagine What You looked like in your 20s

      Delete
    6. Graeme29 April 2020 at 11:29

      Pretty much as I look now except with longer hair and not as wise.

      Delete

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