888,246 ceramic poppies spilling into the moat of the Tower of London, each representing a British or colonial death during the First World War. (And remember, this is only one side of the conflict!) The installation is called Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red. It’s both beautiful and heartbreaking.
Anzac Day, 25th April, is the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand soldiers during the First World War. With the centenary of the landing at Anzac Cove (on the Gallipoli Peninsular in Turkey) coming up, here in QUT Library we’ve been crocheting, knitting and sewing poppy flowers. All the nimble-fingered have contributed – Library and Faculty colleagues, family and friends. Here’s the amazing result – more than one thousand beautiful poppies!
To find out about more the Anzacs and the way their sacrifice is commemorated in Australia and New Zealand, click any of these –
- Complete list of Library resources about the Anzacs;
- Films and television series like Peter Weir’s Gallipoli, starring a young Mel Gibson (watch the trailer), and the ABC series, Anzac Girls (watch the trailer);
- Electronic books, fiction and nonfiction;
- Fiction and nonfiction for children, ranging from picture books for little ones, to graphic novels and young adult books;
- Discovering Anzacs – National Archives of Australia Explore a growing collection of original archival war records. Search for family members who served and contribute your own information to their stories.
- Queensland State Archives Virtual Exhibitions – includes the Home Front in Queensland, Recruitment and Enlistment, Anzac Square and more.