The ANZAC Field of Remembrance is an annual event held at St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney, [1] which is hosted by the War Widows' Guild of Australia NSW Ltd. The event involves the planting of wooden crosses in remembrance of those who have died due to their involvement in war. [2]
The first Field of Remembrance in Sydney was held in 1952. [2] It was an idea that originated from the late Mrs C J Pope, widow of Rear Admiral Pope, after she had visited London and been impressed by the Field of Remembrance held each year in an old churchyard near Westminster Abbey. [1] In 1972 the Attorney-General granted the War Widows’ Guild of Australia NSW Ltd permission to use the word 'ANZAC' in the title, and the Field has been known since then as the ANZAC Field of Remembrance and continues to the present day. [3]
A non-denominational service is held prior to Anzac Day at St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney, with a lesson read by the Governor of New South Wales. [4] The service is followed by the Dedication of the Field and the planting of the official crosses. The first cross is planted by the Governor in memory of The Unknown Warrior, followed by crosses planted on behalf of the three armed forces: Navy, Army and Air Force; the citizens of Sydney; New Zealanders and their armed forces; veterans; and war widows. The Field was originally laid out on the lawn adjoining the Cathedral near Bathurst Street. Since 2016 the Field has been in Hyde Park on the Corner of Park Street and Elizabeth Street close to the ANZAC Memorial. The crosses are planted in a set of flower boxes that are periodically used to decorate the City of Sydney. [5]
The small wooden crosses are colour-coded to represent the different armed forces. A sprig of rosemary is attached to each cross which represents a loved one gone but remembered. They are each personalised with hand written names or small messages. [5] After the Field of Remembrance is closed, the crosses are cremated and scattered on the graves of veterans in a memorial garden. [6]
The Field of Remembrance is open for widows and members of the public to place crosses in personal remembrance, from the day of the commemoration service until the late afternoon on Anzac Day. [4]
The Guild held its 60th ANZAC Field of Remembrance on 19 April 2011. [7] At this service, war widows from major and recent conflicts laid sprays of flowers on the Chancel steps of the cathedral. The Governor of New South Wales, Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO unveiled a plaque to recognise this milestone of 60 years.
Following the establishment of the Sydney Field of Remembrance, the War Widows’ Guild has also held Fields of Remembrance in Albury, Newcastle, The Entrance and Tamworth. [8] The War Widows’ Guild in the Australian Capital Territory [9] [10] and Tasmania [11] also hold Fields of Remembrance.
Dame Marie Roslyn Bashir is the former and second longest-serving Governor of New South Wales. Born in Narrandera, New South Wales, Bashir graduated from the University of Sydney in 1956 and held various medical positions, with a particular emphasis in psychiatry. In 1993 Bashir was appointed the Clinical Director of Mental Health Services for the Central Sydney Area Health Service, a position she held until appointed governor on 1 March 2001. She has also served as the Chancellor of the University of Sydney (2007–2012).
Hyde Park, Sydney, is an urban park, of 16.2-hectare (40-acre), located in the central business district of Sydney, in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It is the oldest public parkland in Australia. Hyde Park is on the eastern fringe of the Sydney city centre and is approximately rectangular in shape, being squared at the southern end and rounded at the northern end. It is bordered on the west by Elizabeth Street, on the east by College Street, on the north by St. James Road and Prince Albert Road and on the south by Liverpool Street.
The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in wars involving the Commonwealth of Australia and some conflicts involving personnel from the Australian colonies prior to Federation. Opened in 1941, the memorial includes an extensive national military museum.
The Anzac Bridge is an eight-lane cable-stayed bridge that carries the Western Distributor (A4) across Johnstons Bay between Pyrmont and Glebe Island, on the western fringe of the Sydney central business district, New South Wales, Australia. The bridge forms part of the road network leading from the central business district, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and Cross City Tunnel to the Inner West and Northern Suburbs.
The Anzac Memorial is a heritage-listed war memorial, museum and monument located in Hyde Park South near Liverpool Street in the CBD of Sydney, Australia. The Art Deco monument was designed by C. Bruce Dellit, with the exterior adorned with monumental figural reliefs and sculptures by Rayner Hoff, and built from 1932 to 1934 by Kell & Rigby. This state-owned property was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 23 April 2010.
The Shrine of Remembrance is a war memorial in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in Kings Domain on St Kilda Road. It was built to honour the men and women of Victoria who served in World War I, but now functions as a memorial to all Australians who have served in any war. It is a site of annual observances for Anzac Day and Remembrance Day, and is one of the largest war memorials in Australia.
Kings Cross is an inner-eastern locality of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately 2 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Sydney. It is bounded by the suburbs of Potts Point, Elizabeth Bay, Rushcutters Bay and Darlinghurst.
William Matthew Currey, VC was a politician and an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He received the award for his actions during the Battle of Mont Saint-Quentin in September 1918, while serving with Australian Imperial Force on the Western Front during the First World War.
Gordon Jacob Samuels, was a British-Australian lawyer and judge who served as the 36th Governor of New South Wales from 1996 to 2001.
The ANZAC Rifle Range is a rifle range located on the Malabar Headland, Malabar, in the City of Randwick local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It is headquarters to the New South Wales Rifle Association, and hosts the annual NSW Queen's Prize shooting competitions. The range is located on land owned by the Commonwealth of Australia.
Bathurst Street is a street in the Sydney central business district in New South Wales, Australia. Bathurst Street runs for 650 metres (2,130 ft) in a west–east direction with traffic flowing in this direction only. It is situated in the southern portion of the central business district. The western terminus of Bathurst Street is at Harbour Street, Darling Harbour, with the eastern terminus at Elizabeth Street, adjacent to Hyde Park.
The Sydney Cenotaph is a heritage-listed monument located in Martin Place, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by Bertram Mackennal and built from 1927 to 1929 by Dorman Long & Co. It is also known as Martin Place Memorial and The Cenotaph. It is one of the oldest World War I monuments in central Sydney. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 11 November 2009.
The Hunter Baillie Memorial Presbyterian Church is a heritage–listed church of the Presbyterian denomination, located in the inner western Sydney suburb of Annandale, New South Wales, Australia.
The Cathedral Church of Christ the King, also called Christ Church Cathedral, is an Australian cathedral in Newcastle, New South Wales. It is the cathedral church of the Diocese of Newcastle in the Anglican Church of Australia. The building, designed by John Horbury Hunt in the Gothic Revival style, is located on a hill at the city's eastern end in the suburb called The Hill. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 28 June 2011.
The War Widows' Guild of Australia NSW Ltd is a not for profit membership-based organization whose mission is to promote and protect the interests of war widows in New South Wales. Established by women and for women in June 1946 the Guild has fought over the years to improve the financial and social circumstances of members.
Matraville Sports High School is a government co-educational comprehensive and specialist secondary school, with speciality in sports, located on Anzac Parade, Chifley, an eastern suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
The Field of Remembrance is a memorial garden organised annually by the Poppy Factory in Westminster, London.
Axel Poignant was an Australian photographer.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Sydney:
The South Head General Cemetery is a heritage-listed cemetery located at 793 Old South Head Road, Vaucluse, New South Wales, Australia. It was built from 1845 to 1950. It is also known as Old South Head Cemetery and the South Head Cemetery. The property is Crown Land governed by Waverley Municipal Council. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 25 August 2017.