Arrived in Brisbane on ANZAC Day. 25 April is probably Australia's most important national occasion. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. If you're as ignorant as we were, here's a bit of the history.
"Anzac" stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The soldiers in those forces quickly became known as ANZACs, and the pride they took in that name endures to this day.
When war broke out in 1914, Australia had been a federal commonwealth for only 13 years. The new national government was eager to establish its reputation among the nations of the world. In 1915 Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula in order to open the Dardanelles to the allied navies. The ultimate objective was to capture Constantinople (now Istanbul in Turkey), the capital of the Ottoman Empire, an ally of Germany.
The Australian and New Zealand forces landed on Gallipoli on 25 April, meeting fierce resistance from the Ottoman Turkish defenders. What had been planned as a bold stroke to knock Turkey out of the war quickly became a stalemate, and the campaign dragged on for eight months. At the end of 1915 the allied forces were evacuated, after both sides had suffered heavy casualties and endured great hardships. Over 8,000 Australian soldiers had been killed. News of the landing on Gallipoli had made a profound impact on Australians at home, and 25 April soon became the day on which Australians remembered the sacrifice of those who had died in the war."
What has struck us about this bit of history is the plucky determination and courage of the troops for whom the war must have felt a million miles away from their everyday life. Very humbling.
We received a lovely warm welcome in Brisbane from Anne Maree, a distant cousin from Maggie's mother's family. She lives in a traditional Queensland home on stilts with some lovely features including stained glass, pretty ceilings and a verandah to help keep cool in the very hot summers. Such a sensible design!
Brisbane's an interesting City with lots of high rise, modern buildings interspersed with older gems such as the Town Hall and Treasury buildings.
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| Brisbane City |
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| Town Hall Auditorium
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| Town Hall |
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| A living statue |
From suburbs such as the one that Anne Maree lives in, the public transport is fantastic. We had a choice of train, bus or ferry to get into the City. This time we used the bus but on our last visit we used the Sea Cat Ferry service which is also a great way of keeping cool in the hotter months! Lots of parks and public spaces in and around the City. 2013 is the 25th anniversary of Expo 88, the international event that put Brisbane onto the world stage. The legacy of Expo is evident in the fabulous public space around the river in the middle of the City. A city "beach" provides a chance of a dip and there are lots of interesting buildings such as the Nepalese Pagoda below.
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| Nepalese Pagoda |
Amazing birds even in the City Centre
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| Australian white Ibis |
We're heading North to the Sunshine Coast next for a few days rest by the sea.
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