Stunning new ANZAC images for Australia

Photographs by Jan Bransbury

The ANZAC Light on the Water tribute to the 645 lost crew of HMAS Sydney provided stunning new ANZAC images for Australia.

Television coverage was extensive with a brilliant feature story leading the Ten Network’s morning show across Australia at 9am on ANZAC morning.

Among a multitude of top news stories including the controversial Olympic torch relay on Thursday and a host of ANZAC events from Gallipoli to Villers Bretonneaux, Dawn Services and Marches here and around the world, the Port Adelaide commemoration was highly visible.

Channel Ten national coverage included interviews with Le Fevre Primary School students and their rendition of the national anthem over footage from the night including the candle-lit boats and floating of wreaths.

There was continuing coverage throughout the day and night on Ten, Nine, Seven and the ABC.

Indigenous and Navy ceremonial spectacles added to the poignant sight of school students, naval cadets and North Haven Surf Lifesavers launching the candle-lit boats on the dark waters of the Port River.

Earlier the SA Pipes and Drums had presented a one hour Ceildhi Music Concert in Black Diamond Square.


Portside Messenger supports local commemoration.



The Portside Messenger community newspaper, journalist Adam Todd and photographers gave front page coverage to our commemoration.

Channels 7 and 10 gave our commemoration extensive coverage and our photos show them getting video footage before ANZAC Eve.

Candle-lit lifeboats in church

Students at Star of the Sea Primary School invited local RSL veterans to a special church service they conducted themselves and took their ANZAC Eve HMAS Sydney replica candle-lit lifeboats and placed them in front of the altar.

Channel Seven filmed the moving and poignant service as children and veterans paid tribute
to the lost crew of HMAS Sydney and all Australians who have served their country.

A number of the students will take part in the launching of 3000 cardboard candle-lit lifeboats with many bearing the names of HMAS Sydney crew on the Port River on ANZAC Eve.

Organisers of this major Tribute to the 645 lost crew of HMAS Sydney have found students at some Adelaide Primary schools who are related to crew members and they
will launch the lifeboats bearing their lost relative’s name.

Adult Peter Laffer who was named after his relative Peter Laffer Ordinary Seaman on HMAS Sydney is flying from Queensland to launch the lifeboat bearing that name.

Several thousand people are expected to attend the Port Adelaide commemoration that will run from 6 pm to 9.30 on April 24.
More information on semaphoresa.com
vindictrix boy.com

Teacher praises ANZAC Eve project

Students at the Adelaide Star of the Sea Primary School have a great connect with HMAS Sydney currently a media star.

The school, a Marine Discovery Centre on Seaview Road with initials SOS, is one of the schools producing 3000 cardboard lifeboats for ANZAC Eve.

Star of the Sea teacher Toby Moulton has sent us the following email.

“The kids had a great experience at the RSL the other day and with the first pictures of the Sydney a couple of days ago its brilliant.
“Kids are getting a real sense of the sacrifice made by many
and are learning so much its awesome.
“Will be a great way to finish the term.”
Three thousand South Australian school students are busily constructing and decorating replica cardboard lifeboats from special templates for a major ANZAC Eve tribute to the lost 645 crew of HMAS Sydney.
Sixty Adelaide school students will represent the 60 South Australian sailors lost in the HMAS Sydney tragedy in 1941 during the ANZAC Eve commemoration on the Port River on April 24.
The focus of ANZAC Light on the Water 2008 will be on the 645 lost crew of the Sydney when more than 3000 cardboard lifeboats bearing lighted candles are launched on the river from the Birkenhead pontoons.

Adelaide and regional schools students and a number of war veterans are making all of the lifeboats.
The names of the 60 lost South Australian sailors will be on the sides of the lifeboats to be launched by the sixty school students.
A special March and Salute by the RAN Ceremonial Unit will be a Dedication to the 645 officers and men of Sydney.
Photos of wreck of HMAS Sydney from Finding Sydney Foundation
http://www.findingsydney.com/

Pay your respects to these fine young men

Sixty Adelaide school students will represent the 60 South Australian sailors lost in the HMAS Sydney tragedy in 1941 during an ANZAC Eve commemoration on the Port River on April 24.

The focus of ANZAC Light on the Water 2008 will be on the 645 lost crew of the Sydney when up to 3000 cardboard lifeboats bearing lighted candles are launched on the river from the Birkenhead pontoons.

Adelaide and regional schools students and their families and war veterans make all of the lifeboats.

The names of the 60 lost South Australian sailors will be on the sides of the lifeboats to be launched by the sixty school students.

A special March and Salute by the RAN Ceremonial Unit will be a Dedication to the 645 officers and men of Sydney.

And a one-hour Ceilidh Music Concert by the SA Pipes and Drums will include a special Ode to the Finding Sydney Foundation search team.

The SA Pipes and Drums won international acclaim for their Ceilidh Music at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

Semaphore Port Adelaide RSL, the Merchant Navy Association SA and the Vindicatrix Association SA staged the first ANZAC Light on the Water on ANZAC Eve 2007 during the first Port Festival.

Work on the 2008 commemoration has been underway since late last year and indications that HMAS Sydney might be found early this year prompted organisers to put plans in place for that.

The overall focus in 2007 was on the merchant seamen who rowed our troops ashore at Gallipoli in 1915.

Event Director John Williams said while the Gallipoli lifeboats had inspired the creation of the event in 2007, each year the commemoration would focus on a significant chapter in the history of Australians at war.

“It is appropriate that this year we should focus on the loss of the Sydney and its 645 crew and in particular the South Australians who were lost in the tragedy.”

“Students related to any of the HMAS Sydney sailors will be the first to be invited to launch the lifeboats.

“All surviving relatives of the 60 sailors and the Finding Sydney Foundation search team leader David Mearns will be invited as guests of honour at this unique Port Adelaide commemoration.

“Relatives, if they wish, will also have the opportunity to float flowers from a vessel on the river during the ANZAC Eve commemoration.

“It is to be hoped that the commemoration will help to bring final closure to the relatives.”

“This year we are breaking with tradition and having a female Minister, Ali Wurm from St Bede's Semaphore who will pay tribute to the HMAS Sydney crew, their relatives and the Finding Sydney Foundation search team.

“This will be the first time a female Minister has officiated at a public ANZAC Eve commemoration.

“The new Federal Labor MP Mark Butler and Port Adelaide Mayor Gary Johanson will be among guest speakers.

“It is planned that the new Port Adelaide Seafarers Memorial will incorporate a Tribute to the HMAS Sydney Crew and the discovery by the Finding Sydney Foundation.”

The sinking of the Sydney on November 19, 1941 with the loss of all 645 crew devastated many Port Adelaide families.

The wreck was found on Sunday March 16 by at a depth of almost 2.5km about 100 nautical miles off the West Australian coast.

Four days earlier, the Finding Sydney Foundation search team Geosounder found Kormoran, the German raider responsible for sinking the Sydney in 1941.

The search area of 1500 square nautical miles was 10 times greater than that for the Titanic.

The City of Port Adelaide Enfield, Department of Education SA, Port Centre
Co-ordination Group, Naval Association SA, South Australian Maritime Museum, Port Adelaide Sailing Club, Royal Australian Navy, North Haven Surf Lifesaving Club, Port Adelaide Visitor Information Centre, Port Adelaide Caledonian Society, Department of Transport SA, Port Adelaide Historical Society, Port Adelaide National Trust Branch, Maritime Union of Australia and a team of dedicated volunteers from Semaphore Port Adelaide RSL, Merchant Navy Association SA, Vindicatrix Association SA and local residents all support ANZAC Light on the Water.

Finding Sydney Foundation:
www.findingsydney.com/

View a video tribute to HMAS Sydney and crew at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgtMaZVDcL4

New poster in The Port

Thanks to the Andre Stuyt at Port Centre Co-ordination Group and Sama Reid at City of Port Adelaide Enfield Publications there's a new poster in Black Diamond Square for
ANZAC Light on the Water 2008.

Lifeboat passes Sea Trials test

The prototype of the new Visy Board cardboard lifeboats for ANZAC Light on Water successfully underwent Sea Trials on the Port River on Friday March 14.
Our photo shows the lifeboat near one of the pontoons where up to 3000 will be launched in the commemoration event on April 24.

New templates for Gallipoli lifeboats

Our photos show the prototype cardboard template and the mock-up lifeboat we are working on with Visy Board in Wingfield.

Three thousand lifeboat templates will be delivered to schools in Adelaide and some regional centres in special packs with instructions and information about ANZAC Light on the Water on April 24.

Students will make their own boats for the ANZAC Eve tribute to the merchant seamen who rowed out troops ashore at Gallipoli in 1915.

Thousands of families are expected to pack Queens Wharf in Port Adelaide for the event which will open with a one hour Ceilidh Music Concert by SA Pipes and Drums.


An Indigenous Welcome will then herald the start of ANZAC Light on the Water with a Royal Australian Navy Ceremonial Unit parade and Salute.

A large fleet of the lifeboats containing lighted candles will be launched from the Queens Wharf pontoons in a moving salute to all war veterans.

Those who wish to design their own lifeboats are encouraged to do so as long as basic principles are followed.

The boats must be watertight and have a small wooden strip on the bottom so that they cannot sink.

Anyone wanting to use the cardboard template when they are available should email John Williams.

The City of Port Adelaide Enfield is funding and supporting the event which involves many organisations including the Merchant Navy Association SA, Semaphore Port Adelaide RSL, Vindicatrix Association, Department of Education, Naval Association SA, Port Adelaide Sailing Club and Port Centre Co-ordination Group.

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