Government House Gardens turn Red for Anzac Day

In Flanders Fields

By John McCrae

In Flanders Fields, the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

Thousands of kilometres from Flanders Fields, Government House, Perth, have become a sea of red.

Dozens of RSL volunteers planted over 52,500 crocheted poppies in time for Anzac Day. Governor Dawson requested that the poppies be planted at Government House for this year’s Anzac Day. They are always planted at King’s Park for Remembrance Day, 11 November.

Each poppy has been handcrafted and commemorates lives lost during World War 1. Amongst the red poppies, which represent fallen soldiers, are purple poppies to commemorate animals and white poppies for anyone else caught in the crossfire of war.

Sprigs of rosemary also hand crocheted, have been planted among the poppies – rosemary is the symbol of Anzac Day.

Within the gardens at Government House is a Lone Pine Tree. This tree is of special significance and was planted in 2015 to mark the centenary of the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli. A lone pine marks the site of the ‘Battle of Lone Pine’ at Gallipoli where 2,300 ANZACs and 6,000 Turks lost their lives. Beneath the Lone Pine are handcrafted sprigs of rosemary.

This installation is still open to the public today and tomorrow:
Wednesday 26 April, 11am – 2pm
Thursday 27 April, 11am – 2pm.

Admission is free.

* STORY and photographs by Jean Hudson @jeansodyssey. Jean is our Shipping Correspondent and also a regular feature writer and photographer here on the Shipping News. You may like to follow up her informative Places I Love stories, as well as other feature stories and Freo Today photographs, right here.

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