Precious relics brought back after decades for Remembrance Day

Two extraordinarily preserved pieces of history are set to see the light of day for the first time in decades this Remembrance Day.

This year, the Australian War Memorial (AWM) will mark 85 years of serving as the nation’s permanent reminder of the horrors of war and sacrifices of those in service.

To mark the occasion, two symbolic and poignant* artefacts will be seen for the first time in decades and placed at the memorial during Wednesday’s Remembrance Day National Ceremony, held on November 11 each year.

The first will be a scarlet poppy wreath with a royal history, first laid by the Duke of Gloucester at the memorial’s construction site more than 90 years ago.

It was placed by the Duke in 1934, between the two world wars, to remember those who lost their lives in The Great War* and to symbolise the beginning of work for the memorial.

The wreath has been carefully stored and preserved ever since, in a process that sees it regularly frozen and treated to ward off damage from moths.

But on Wednesday, it will be laid in honour once again, this time by Governor-General Sam Mostyn.

The AWM’s senior curator Shane Casey said the wreath was the oldest of its kind in the memorial’s collection and it would be the first time in decades it had been laid during a ceremony.

“It is very, very symbolic, as it represents so much about the imperialism* of the day, the relationship between Australia and Britain and all the lives lost,” Mr Casey said.

“We have a number of conservators* here who are very well trained and put a lot of time and effort into looking after it.”

He said the wreath needed to be stored in special acid-free boxes to ensure it stayed preserved and would have to be handled very carefully.

The second item is an equally delicate piece of military history – a cloth poppy which was handed out at the memorial’s official opening in 1941.

It belonged to First World War veteran Stanley Mason, who enlisted as a private when he was 23 years old.

Mr Casey said it was one of about 110 that were handed out on the day of the memorial’s launch – but was the only one that had since been traced.

“At a time when it appears war is everywhere you look, it is so important for us to remember the sacrifices people made to defend our nation and why they did it,” Mr Casey said.

“Poppies are such an iconic* symbol of this – they are a very visible thing that help us to remember.

“These two items show the continuity* of tradition in expressing commemoration.”

A RICH HISTORY OF REMEMBRANCE

Ground was broken on the museum in 1934, when the wreath was first laid, before it was officially unveiled on November 11, 1941.

The museum is on Treloar Crescent in Campbell, in the Australian capital of Canberra.

The site was selected to overlook parliament, so the nation’s decision-makers would have it always in sight and remember the horrors of war before committing Australia to future military actions.

It was initially designed as a memorial to the First World War, however, its collection was expanded to include the Second World War, which was still four years from resolution when it opened.

“The AWM is always evolving,” said senior historian Craig Tibbitts.

“It was originally designed to commemorate and tell the story of Australians who served and died in the First World War, but as Australia’s involvement in conflicts expanded, so too did the scope.

“The museum has evolved to include Australia’s modern conflicts, such as Afghanistan, East Timor and the Middle East.”

The museum’s director Matt Anderson said Wednesday’s ceremony would be an opportunity to reflect on all those who chose to put their lives at risk to protect others.

“As the nation pauses at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, we remember all those who have served, and all who never came home, from the fallen in Gallipoli to the fallen in Afghanistan,” Mr Anderson said.

“We need to acknowledge the horrendous nature of war and what we ask our men and women to do.

“The purpose of the AWM was always to be a memorial, archive and museum while reminding people to say ‘never again’ to war, just as the then Governor-General Lord Gowrie said at the opening in 1941.”

POLL

GLOSSARY

• poignant: deeply touching
• The Great War: World War One
• imperialism: when a powerful country takes over other lands to make itself larger, richer and more powerful
• conservators: people appointed to preserve and protect something
• iconic: so symbolic that it represents a country, culture or era
• continuity: continuing over time without interruption

EXTRA READING
What is Remembrance Day all about?
Great Australian kindness race
World unites for Remembrance Day

QUICK QUIZ
1. What is the significance of the poppy wreath?
2. How has it been preserved for so many years?
3. When was the Australian War Memorial officially opened?
4. When does the nation pause for a minute of silence to remember all those who died at war?
5. Who owned the cloth poppy that will also feature in this year’s commemoration?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Historical significance
Look at this list of objects below and order them from 1 to 6, with 1 being the most historically significant.

– A soldier’s medal –

– An old family photograph –

– A handwritten letter from 1941 –

– A school report from 1941 –

– A cloth poppy from the Australian War Memorial opening –

– A modern mobile phone –

Why have you listed number 1 as most significant and number 6 as least significant?

Does an object have to be old to be historically important?

Is an object more important if it belonged to someone famous?

Who decides which objects should be preserved in museums?

Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, History, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
The article quotes the words “never again to war”.

Can countries resolve disagreements without going to war in the past and the future?

Write a pledge stating how we can keep that promise moving into the future.

Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, History, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
To sum it up
After reading the article, use your comprehension skills to summarise in a maximum of three sentences what the article is about.

Think about:

• What is the main topic or idea?
• What is an important or interesting fact?
• Who was involved (people or places)?

Use your VCOP skills to re-read your summary to make sure it is clear, specific and well punctuated.