Queensland Anzac Centenary 2014-2018 / Issue 4

Remembrance Day has always signalled an opportunity to pause and give thanks to those who served and sacrificed.

In commemoration of the Armistice Centenary in 2018, the Queensland Government launched the Promise to Pause campaign to help build a lasting legacy of observing Remembrance Day commemorative traditions. The campaign reminded Queenslanders to stop for one minute at 11 am on Sunday 11 November to remember all those who had sacrificed and served, while inspiring others to mark Remembrance Day for the first time.

In 2018, Remembrance Day fell on a Sunday—a day that for many is filled with activities centred around family, friends and relaxation.

Recognising this, the campaign brought the First World War Armistice into the modern day by depicting everyday Queenslanders stopping to commemorate Remembrance Day during typical Sunday morning activities they love, such as going to the beach, sharing time with family and friends or playing sport.

Queenslanders were then invited to make a pledge to pause on Remembrance Day, with participants receiving electronic calendar prompts and Facebook reminders to stop for one minute on 11 November.

Hundreds of Queensland voices raised in song delivered a fitting tribute to the enduring legacy of the Anzac spirit across November’s Voices of Remembrance program, a musical initiative presented by the Queensland Government in partnership with Queensland Music Festival.

The powerful sound of community choirs across Queensland resonated at special concerts to commemorate the centenary of the signing of the Armistice that led to the end of the First World War.

Two free commemorative concerts in Toowoomba and Cairns in the days before Remembrance Day welcomed more than 290 local choristers and 115 local musicians on stage to perform alongside renowned baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes and award-winning singer Katie Noonan.

Among them was Toowoomba’s Jane Hobbs who used the event to sing the praises of her grandfather John Bevan, awarded the Military Medal for his heroic efforts on the Western Front.

“I was thinking of my grandfather before, during and after the concert, and was proud to have been given the opportunity to bring his story to a broader audience,” Mrs Hobbs said.

“The concert was exciting and emotional, as it brought to the fore the sacrifices and hardships made by the thousands of soldiers, nurses, doctors and the like whose lives were lost or irreparably changed by the war.

“The narrative throughout the concert was important in this way, with its personal stories.

“The highlight was feeling part of something so important to my history, and the history of thousands of others.”

Music director Dr Jonathon Welch AM, founder of The Choir of Hard Knocks, curated a mix of favourite songs from the era including Keep the Home Fires Burning and It’s A Long Road to Tipperary. He also selected contemporary music such as Eric Bogle’s And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda in a nod to the men and women who fought to protect Australia in the years since the First World War.

The Voices of Remembrance concerts also marked the world premiere of Eleven, a choral work by Australian composer Gordon Hamilton specially commissioned by the Queensland Government to mark the Armistice Centenary.

“This concert provided not only a chance to reflect on the loss of so many Australian lives during the First World War and beyond, and the sacrifices that were made, but it also paid tribute to every man and woman in Queensland who had served in the armed forces,” Dr Welch said.

“There is no greater sacrifice, and I was delighted to be able to give time and talents to create this beautiful musical tribute.”

Complementing each Voices of Remembrance concert was a unique narrative, written specifically for Toowoomba and Cairns audiences by award-winning Queensland playwright and director Daniel Evans.

Queensland Music Festival Artistic Director Katie Noonan also performed at both concerts and said the highlight for her was witnessing the scale and passion of community involvement across the state.

“The Voices of Remembrance choral initiative helped Queenslanders reconnect with moving stories from the First World War and pay tribute to the peace that came with the signing of the Armistice,” Ms Noonan said.

“It illuminated the history and legacy of the community during the First World War and acknowledged the vital role of Indigenous soldiers and the Australian Light Horse.”

In addition to the two sell-out concerts in Toowoomba and Cairns, 13 local choirs from regions including Mount Isa, Charters Towers, Cunnamulla and the Scenic Rim learnt and performed some of the same repertoire at local Voices of Remembrance community concerts across the state. 

In the lead up to Remembrance Day, communities across Queensland joined together to create a fitting tribute to those who served during the First World War.

The Queensland Government called on members of the community to contribute to a unique Armistice Centenary art installation by helping to create thousands of handmade paper poppies in recognition of the 57,705 Queensland soldiers who enlisted in the First World War.

Queenslanders rallied behind the project, with thousands of poppies produced from hundreds of community workshops held across the state. The project engaged with a vast range of businesses, community groups, clubs and associations―from RSL Sub Branches, schools, kindergartens and community groups to corrective services, hospitals and convents all taking part.

Standing at over three metres tall and 16 metres in length, the completed artwork comprised acrylic letters which spelled ‘Remember’ and were filled with the thousands of handmade paper poppies.

The finished artwork toured to Townsville, Mackay, Longreach and Bundaberg in October 2018, before making its way to Brisbane ahead of Remembrance Day on 11 November 2018.

Thousands of people visited the completed artwork to take a moment of personal reflection in honour of our Queensland soldiers.

Reflecting on the historic association between outback Queenslanders and the military, Longreach Mayor Ed Warren said the artwork took on a special significance in each place.

“I’m sure the artwork took on a new significance in each of the regions it toured to. We were honoured to host this impressive artwork at Beersheba Place, where we have a tribute to the Australian Light Horse,” Mayor Warren said.

“It was moving—we remembered not only the soldiers, but the horses left behind following the Armistice, many of which came from our region.”

For those unable to attend the workshops, personalised poppy tributes could also be created online. Each of the beautifully animated poppies were displayed in a digital reflection pool on the Anzac Centenary Queensland website and a selection were on display alongside the final art installation in Brisbane.

On 11 November 1930—Armistice Day—the Telegraph reported on the historic dedication of Anzac Square.

“Long before the hour for the sacred ceremony a great and reverent crowd had congregated in the Square and in Adelaide Street adjoining it.” 

It was a hot Queensland day and every point of observation was occupied. Yet at the appointed hour, the silence in honour of the fallen was absolute. As the great crowd stood, the newspaper reported, “Railway trains, trams and motor cars were still”.

Many returned servicemen made the journey to Brisbane, according to Major H. R. Carter of the Returned Sailors and Soldiers Imperial League of Australia, to bear witness to the unveiling of a state memorial dedicated to the memory of their fallen comrades.

Ever since, Anzac Square has been at the heart of the city and a revered place to remember all those who have served abroad and at home in conflict and peacekeeping operations.

In 2014, the state’s Anzac Centenary commemorations were seen as a timely opportunity to restore and enhance the beloved square, and engage new generations of Queenslanders in the state’s war memorial.
The Queensland Government, Anzac Centenary Public Fund and Brisbane City Council invested $21.98 million in a five-year program of works to maintain, restore, protect and respectfully enhance Anzac Square.
This year, the final phase of the restoration and enhancement of this preeminent memorial to our servicemen and women is being completed, including works to the undercroft areas which will provide an opportunity for all visitors to Anzac Square to engage with Queensland’s military history and gain a richer understanding of the sacrifices the memorial represents.

Featuring interactive elements designed to immerse visitors in the Queensland experience of war and remembrance, the Anzac Square undercroft has been enhanced to feature curated content within each space representing different periods of conflict: World War I Memorial Crypt, World War II Gallery and Post World War II Memorial and Exhibition Gallery.

“Anzac Square is more than a Brisbane memorial, it is a memorial for all Queenslanders,” said the Content Curator of the Anzac Square Project, Anna Thurgood from the State Library of Queensland.

To this end, a small team at the State Library of Queensland pored through their vast collection, unearthing personal stories of Queenslanders from every corner of the state and documenting their lives from the home front to the battlefront.

“More than 10,000 newly digitised items have been incorporated into the galleries at Anzac Square, including artefacts, postcards, maps, letters and medals.

“Anzac Square has given us the opportunity to bring these items out of the vault and into the light of day,” said Ms Thurgood.

“This is such a great legacy because these items are also now available in the State Library’s online digital collection, meaning their stories can be told beyond Anzac Square, for generations to come.”

In the World War I Memorial Crypt, the careful restoration of the historic plaques honouring Queensland battalions and corps are now complemented by digital technology illuminating the incredible deeds of Queenslanders both in battle and on the home front. 

In the World War II Gallery, an interactive Second World War map plotting table provides depth and breadth to unique stories of Queensland’s service and sacrifice. 

The new installations preserve the galleries’ quiet mood of peaceful contemplation.

The square’s three pathways leading from Adelaide Street to the Shrine of Remembrance steps are now inscribed with the names of the three arms of the Australian Defence Force: the Royal Australian Navy, the Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force.

Careful landscaping has restored green and shade to the square, and new seating has been installed to provide places to pause and reflect.

The statues have been repositioned so they sit in chronological order around the square, creating a journey through time, through different conflicts.

Anzac Square has always been a place for all Queenslanders to visit to pay their respects. For this reason, the final suite of works included improving accessibility to and through Anzac Square with enhanced pathways, staircases and a lift.

At the dedication of Anzac Square in 1930, His Excellency the Governor of Queensland, Sir John Goodwin, said: “We hope and pray that the example and lesson given to us by those who died may rest in our hearts and in the hearts of future generations of Queenslanders and that those who gave all in the War shall not have died in vain.”

Restored and enhanced, Anzac Square will continue to serve future generations.

Queensland Museum’s Anzac Legacy Gallery opened on 10 November 2018 and is a new permanent exhibition that explores the First World War and its legacy in Queensland.

Featuring 500 significant objects and 200 stories, the exhibition explores two key themes―Queensland at War and Queensland Remembers―which are brought to life through a combination of significant objects, authentic replicas and the latest 3D technology. Queensland at War focuses on the battle front and at home, and Queensland Remembers explores the long-term legacies of the First World War.

The Queensland Government, the Anzac Centenary Public Fund and the Queensland Museum funded the gallery with contributions totalling $14.29 million.

Chief Executive Officer and Director at Queensland Museum Network Dr Jim Thompson said there is an enduring appeal to the gallery which connects objects, stories and legacies from this time.

“Anzac Legacy Gallery gives visitors an insight into wartime experiences, stories of soldiers who fought on the battlefields and those at home during the First World War,” Dr Thompson said.

“The gallery provides an opportunity to imagine the people behind these objects and their life stories, and connect them to contemporary Queensland.”

This gallery, however, is not just one of wartime one hundred years ago. It’s also about the Queensland we live in today, a Queensland where unexpected events are tied by filaments back to the First World War, where tea cosies, place names and even robots can be seen through the lens of time as having a link to the war.

Queensland Museum Senior Curator Dr Elizabeth Bissell said Anzac Legacy Gallery offers visitors a contemporary and engaging experience.

“Anzac Legacy Gallery makes a vivid connection between aspects of life in Queensland today and the events and activities of the First World War for Queenslanders,” Dr Bissell said.

“It also recognises the important contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples during the First World War, which was not always acknowledged at the time.”

“Ultimately, the gallery provides an opportunity for Queenslanders to learn more about the First World War, but also to reflect on how that conflict has shaped the Queensland we know today.”

Mephisto takes centre stage

The gallery showcases an experiential encounter with one of Australia’s favourite war relics, the A7V Sturmpanzerwagen armoured assault vehicle, Mephisto. 

The world’s first tank battle occurred on 24 April 1918, near the French village of Villers-Bretonneux.

Mephisto took part in the battle but became disabled in a shell crater during the German advance. Abandoned by its crew, it was eventually salvaged by Australian troops of the 26th Battalion Australian Imperial Forces (composed mainly of Queenslanders) and shipped to Brisbane in 1919 as a war trophy. Mephisto is now the only surviving example of a German First World War tank.

Mephisto has become a Queensland icon, a long way from its beginnings on the battlefields of Europe. Located at the heart of the gallery, visitors can explore the tank’s history.

Storytelling through innovation

The Anzac Legacy Gallery tells many personal stories of Queenslanders who went to war and did not return.

Helping to tell these stories, 10 cutting-edge multimedia experiences are located throughout the gallery. These include large interactive screens around Mephisto, a video wall, a digital poppy memorial, an Anzac Day documentary and virtual reality experiences.

In loss and honour

Featured in the gallery is the story of Patrick ‘Paddy’ Bugden’s Victoria Cross, which he was posthumously awarded after being killed in action in September 1917 near Polygon Wood in Belgium.

Devastated by the loss of her son, Paddy’s mother Annie Kelly carried his Victoria Cross around in her handbag for the next 30 years. Tragically, she was killed in a car accident in 1949, and consequently, the medal went missing.

When the family realised Paddy’s Victoria Cross had not been returned to them in the personal items from the crash site, they searched the roadside for it where the accident took place. Remarkably, they found the precious medal at the site and, in 1980, generously donated it to the Queensland Museum.

Reflected in fashion

With entire communities grieving for loved ones, mourning changed forever during the First World War. The elaborately decorated dresses of Victorian mourning were replaced with more restrained designs.

The gallery features a replica of a mourning suit made during the First World War by Janet Walker, a popular fashion designer and dressmaker who worked in Brisbane between 1886 and 1938.

The mourning suit was made for Christina Massey. It has the clean, spare lines and relatively simple trimming that became popular during the war period.

Sacred vestments

Canon Garland served as a chaplain with the Light Horse in Palestine. He entered Jerusalem with the Light Horse in December 1917 and was invited by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch to celebrate the Christmas Eucharist in Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Patriarch presented him with vestments, otherwise known as ceremonial robes, that are now one of the key items on display at the Anzac Legacy Gallery.

Lieutenant-Colonel David John Garland, as secretary of the Queensland Anzac Day Commemoration Committee, drafted the first Anzac Day order of service in 1916. As an Army Chaplain and Anglican minister, he recognised that the grief of war spread across society, so he designed an inclusive service transcending religious and political differences. Anzac Day for Canon Garland was sacred―a time when the dead are remembered, and all are united in grief. Today, the march, wreath-laying and minute of silence of that first Anzac Day remain almost unchanged.

When the First World War broke out, the population of the Fraser Coast region was much smaller than it is today. Yet the region made an extraordinary contribution to the war effort. The stories of the local men who enlisted and the impact of the war on the Fraser Coast and beyond have been recognised through the development of the Gallipoli to Armistice Trail, a unique memorial walk in Queens Park in Maryborough.

The Gallipoli to Armistice Trail is an engrossing collection of sculptures and educational resources set along a picturesque walking trail. It highlights local connections to the First World War, and forms part of the Fraser Coast Military Trail―a larger trail connecting 20 points of interest in the region.

Made possible through $1 million in funding support from the Queensland Government, in partnership with the Australian Government and the Fraser Coast Regional Council, the interactive Gallipoli to Armistice Trail traces the course and impact of the First World War using beautiful sculptures, static and interactive panels and emotive soundscapes.

A focal point is the story of Maryborough man Lieutenant Duncan Chapman, the first allied solider to step ashore at Anzac Cove on 25 April 1915.

At the start of the trail stands a life-size bronze statue of Lieutenant Chapman, paid for by a community fundraising campaign―a signal of the Maryborough community’s respect for his service and for the service of all those who volunteered to join the Australian Imperial Force.

A selection of panels focus on the story of the Gallipoli campaign from the perspective of Queenslanders from Wide Bay, with QR codes so that visitors can download an audio version of the story. Nearby is a scale model, crafted out of ironbark, of the bow of the rowboat which carried Lieutenant Chapman and 26 other men to the northern end of Anzac Cove.

Unlike more than 8700 of his fellow Australian soldiers, Duncan Chapman survived the eight-month Gallipoli campaign.

Promoted to the rank of Major, he was killed in action on 6 August 1916 at Pozières in France. According to Australian war correspondent Charles Bean, the soil of Pozières “… is more densely sown with Australian sacrifice than any other place on Earth”.

Australian casualties at Pozières finally totalled a staggering 23,000 men, of whom 6800 were killed.

It is this critical battle which is the second focal point of the Gallipoli to Armistice Trail. Inscribed pavers lead visitors along a walk dedicated to the war on the Western Front ending at an arbour dedicated to the Battle of Poziѐres. Haunting soundtracks of marching feet and soldiers’ voices accompany visitors as they move from statue to statue.

As well as commemorating the service and sacrifice of the soldiers, the trail showcases the wartime experience of journalists, nurses and families. It includes a reproduction of Charles Bean’s hardy Corona typewriter and a poignant statue entitled “Mary Poziѐres”, representing the mothers, sisters and wives waiting anxiously for news from the front. Near the end of the trail is the sculptural representation of the “Soldier of Poziѐres”, a symbol of those survivors who witnessed the horror of the war.

The Gallipoli to Armistice Trail was formally unveiled on 21 July 2018 by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and the Prime Minister of Australia as well as representatives of the governments of New Zealand, Britain and Turkey. The ceremony was attended by councillors, embassy representatives, senior military officials and hundreds of Maryborough locals. 

“Every single Australian that is able to should at some stage now make their way to Maryborough to get a sense of who we are, from where we came, who gave us what we have and made us who we are”, Director of the Australian War Memorial Dr Brendan Nelson said.

The Gallipoli to Armistice Memorial Trail is free to visit and has become a treasured element of Queens Park—for military history enthusiasts and the general public alike.

At the end of the First World War, in Compiegne France 1918, allied nations and Germany entered a now historically significant rail carriage to sign the Armistice agreement.

The Armistice called for Germany’s surrender and a cease fire at 11 am on the 11th day of the 11th month 1918, ultimately resulting in the end to the First World War.

Within Queensland, steam railways and locomotives were crucial in hauling recruiting and troop movement trains as part of the war efforts. Over a century on, Queensland still holds a significant piece of rail and military history which is owned and maintained by Queensland Pioneer Steam Railway Cooperative Limited (QPSR).

Located in Ipswich―long regarded as the home of steam rail in Queensland―QPSR is fortunate enough to have a PB15-448 steam locomotive which was built in 1908 in Maryborough. The PB15-448 is one of the few remaining steam locomotives from the First World War era and is the last remaining operational steam locomotive used to haul Queensland troop trains.

From funding provided through a Queensland Anzac Centenary grant, QPSR commemorated the final year of the centenary and the role rail played during the First World War with the 100th Anniversary Remembrance Day Troop Train project.

The project included a community event held at Swanbank Station over the Remembrance Day weekend, Saturday 10 November and Sunday 11 November 2018. Visitors were able to board the heritage troop train at Racecourse Station to be transported to and from the event at Swanbank Station precincts.  

Riding along with passengers were period re-enactors who created an engaging historical experience for those onboard, providing First World War facts and insights.

Upon arrival at Swanbank Railway Station visitors were taken back to a wartime scene with a display of heritage vehicles and military equipment, and First World War era entertainment provided by the Royal Australian Air Force Amberley Brass Band, period dancers and singers from Ipswich Musical Theatre Company. 

Visitors were also able to view the unloading of the Light Horse from the train’s cattle wagon, which had been restored for the event as part of QPSR’s Anzac Centenary project and was pulled by the PB15-448 locomotive.

QPSR member Chris Tankey says the event was developed as an immersive experience for visitors that allowed them to reflect on the role that rail played in supporting our Anzacs.

“By having the heritage vehicles on display, the band playing, the dancers performing and the Light Horse, it brought the community event to life and really allowed visitors to step back in time.’’

“The main focus of the event was to commemorate, remember and honour all our servicemen and women who served during the First World War.”

“Steam railways and locomotives were developed and widely used during the war era to transport everything from troops and horses to ammunition and vehicles. Even entire hospitals were moved by rail, right to the frontline,” Mr Tankey said. 

“While steam railways and locomotives played a significant role in war efforts, the war in turn also had a significant impact on the development of railways, railway stations and steam trains around the world,” he said.

QPSR also conducted a touching memorial service on the Remembrance Day weekend, honouring and paying respect to all who served in conflicts.

Approximately 700 passengers were transported by the heritage train during the event.