May 26, 2012

The Anzac Day holiday

Anzac Day

I don’t get why there is a public holiday on Monday in lieu of Anzac Day falling on a Sunday. It actually seems contrary to the “Anzac spirit”, which wartime historian Charles Bean defined as: “Reckless valor in a good cause, enterprise, resourcefulness, fidelity, comradeship and endurance that will never own defeat.” Although, I suppose [...]

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The poppy is for sacrifice

With Remembrance Day coming up on Wednesday I bought a red poppy from a Legacy chap at the post office on Friday. In fact, I gave the man $5 and he handed over four poppies, so I gave two of them to Jim and Maggie. I always get a little reflective and melancholy around Remembrance [...]

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ANZAC or Anzac?

Anzac badge

The language is constantly evolving with a trend towards brevity. Waggon has become wagon and to-day has become today. Some Australians cling to what they believe is English spelling for words like “programme” and anything that potentially ends in -our like “colour”. I think they are mistaken. Researching newspapers from the 1890s for my family [...]

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Anzac Day glorified

Anzac commemoration

Anzac Day has captured the public imagination in Australia. My Anzac Day reflection is to acknowledge that all four of my grandfather’s brothers served in the First World War. I remember attending April 25 parades as a cub scout in Traralgon where the returned soldiers outnumbered the spectators. There were Boer War veterans in the [...]

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Anzac Day in Kalgoorlie

Anzac badge

I’ve never been one to attend the Dawn Service, however I always make a point of attending the main late-morning ceremony. Today I went to the Kalgoorlie parade (there was also one in Boulder). The crowd wasn’t as great as I expected, but apparently there were 3000 people at the Dawn Service. The march went [...]

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