I have attended most of the Whitehorse ceremonies at Wattle Park in recent
years, held on the Sunday closest to Anzac Day.
Wattle Park has many connections. It houses one of four pines (pinus
brutia) propagated from a cone from the symbolic Lone Pine.
It was a parade ground for a battalion associated with Gallipoli.
It houses a memorial clock, and several commemorative plaques.
The clock honours a Box Hill boy who was killed at Gallipoli. His name
lives on as the suburb Bennettswood.
Wattle Park was under M&MTB control for decades, and is still the home for a
recital season by Melbourne Tramways Band.
Lots of local ingredients come together to make the ceremony, which starts
at 13.00 around the pine (and a 15 yo junior, propagated to be large enough
to replace the original when it dies. Two of the four have died already,
but this one has a good bill of health for years yet).
I enclose the program, and have no need to summarise it.
This year had excellent weather: warm, no wind, the grass refreshed by rain
earlier in the week.
The guest speaker focussed on 2017 events on the western front, and the
links to Wattle Park.
Many continued to the bandstand for MTB's final recital of the 2016-17
season, the 77th at Wattle Park.
The program was entirely brass, about 50% marches, and 50% medleys of
Australian patriotic tunes, WWI tunes and some WWII (including three from
Vera Lynn, whose 100th birthday was celebrated in style in UK earlier this
year).
Always, the April recital draws to a close with the sun below the trees, and
the shadows stretching well beyond the audience.
Before closing with 'Advance Australia Fair', the announcement was made that
the 1917-18 season has received its sponsorship.
The Finley tree is a descendent of a tree from Gallipoli, but not of the
Lone Pine.
There were only four Lone Pine descendents propagated in Australia, planted
at Wattle Park (surviving), Shrine of Remembrance (died), the Sisters (near
Warrnambool, died) and Warrnambool Gardens (surviving).
Wattle Park has a 15 yo sapling from the seed of its. The type is a slow
growing one, but it had a spurt in 2016-17. A descendent was propagated for
the Shrine, but it died too. A second descendent has been planted.
Around the rest of Australia, other Gallipoli pines are from cones from
other trees, and are of a different genus too. The federal government has
propagated a set, for federal politicians to plant (at one per electorate).
<www.awm.gov.au/shop/lone-pine-seedlings>
<www.wbgardens.com.au/plants/pinus-brutia>
Attached:
080711F Thailand Hellfire Pass. R Smith.
110417Su Wattle Park Anzac ceremony, two pines, clocktower.
120422Su Wattle Park Lone Pine offspring and plaques. R Smith.
120422Su Wattle Park MTB bugler, new pine, cadet. R Smith.
170423Su Wattle Park Anzac Service.
The WWI items included 'Long way to Tipperary', 'Pack up your troubles',
'Take me back to Blighty'.
A Florrie Forde rendition of 'Blighty', with evocative photos
<www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRsO7tCjhAA>.
Florrie is a little-known Australian, and really should receive recognition
on a banknote. She was a contemporary of Melba (the attended each other's
concerts), but sang in a different style and milieu. She sang to soldiers
in hospitals. http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/forde-florrie-12920
The WWII items included Vera Lynn's signature tune 'We'll meet again'.
For this post, have the link to her 'When I grow too old to dream', with
scenes from the movie 'Battle of Britain'.
<www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNB8VbFmlOY>
Roderick.