Day 028, Saturday, 25 April 2009, ANZAC Day

 

Distance travelled – 54.8 km
Avg speed – 18.7 kph
Max speed – 43.7 kph

Caboolture, Beerburrum, Landsborough, Caloundra

We woke this morning to the voice of Louise Maher from ABC radio in Canberra presenting the ANZAC dawn ceremony from the National War Memorial. It took a while for us to work out where we were and then the traffic noise quickly bought us back to the reality of staying in the Caboolture Caravan Park next to the Bruce Highway. We have been away nearly a month and we both commented how nice it was to hear a familiar voice from home. If we complete the entire trip it will possibly be nine months before we return to familiar surroundings. We hope Rebecca and Scott’s house is finished before we return so we have a home to move back into. Rebecca, perhaps we need a website showing the progress of the build so we know if we need to slow down.

Last night we decided to go to the local ANZAC parade at Caboolture and we had logged on to the local RSL website to get all the details. At 9.00am we left for the march and after talking to one of the local Police on roadblock duty positioned ourselves at the intersection opposite the RSL club where the march was to terminate and the service commence.

The march reminded me of my time in Woomera and Binalong / Yass where all the local organisations and schools participate along with the veterans. This is something that is missing from the big city marches. I remember marching myself as a scout in Woomera and loosing one of my shoes and completing the march without it. I cannot recall how I retrieved it, I suspect my parents picked it up after we had passed.

I was keen to film the positioning of the catafalque (cat-a-falk) party and the reverse arms drill but left it too late to move across the road from where I was filming the march.  As I started to make my crossing all the school groups filed past and I could not get across. The catafalque party is the four service personnel positioned at the four corners of the stone of remembrance. In fact the party consists of 6 members, the watch commander, 4 vigils and a ‘waiting member’ and there is a protocol on how they are positioned around the memorial.

With the recent controversy about new legislation controlling motorcycle groups, one of the groups marching that stood out was a group of men and women in black motorcycle leathers called The Patriots which is a motorcycle club for regular, reserve and ex-serving members of the Defence Force. As I stood near the memorial stone and the catafalque party I found myself chatting to one of the Patriots called “Dabs”. I quickly asked if I could record a short interview and we started all over again with the tape running. We will add this interview to those that we have already recorded along the way.

Dabs talked about attending the ‘Gunfire Breakfast’ at Enoggera Barracks after the Dawn service. I had not heard this term before and I forgot to ask him about it. I have since discovered that the term was first used to when the Diggers had breakfast in the trenches with the sound of gunfire in the background. It is now an ANZAC Day tradition.

As I wrote the above I logged onto the web to check the spelling of ‘catafalque’ and got distracted with an article from DVA about the origins of the ANZAC dawn service and discovered a link that we could follow on our trip.

In a small cemetery in the town of Herberton which is behind Cairns near our route to the Northern Territory there is apparently a grave with the simple inscription ‘A Priest’. Apparently next to the grave there is the following inscription: ‘Adjacent to, and on the right of this marker lies the grave of the late Rev. Arthur Ernest White, a Church of England clergyman and padre, 44th BN., First AIF. On April 25th, 1923, at Albany, W. A., the Rev. White led a party of friends in what was the first ever observance of the Dawn parade on ANZAC Day, thus establishing a tradition which has endured, Australia wide, ever since.’

The article reports that White was one of the padres with the First AIF in November 1914. Before embarkation at Albany WA he conducted a service, at four in the morning, for all the men of the battalion.

In a coincidence upon his return to Australia White was appointed as Rector in Albany. He is quoted as saying  Albany was the last sight of land these ANZAC troops saw after leaving Australian shores and some of them never returned. We should hold a service (here) at the first light of dawn each ANZAC Day to commemorate them.’

On Anzac Day 1923 as the sun was rising White with a small group of men stood near the summit of Mount Clarence and watched as a man in a dinghy cast a wreath into King George Sound. He then quietly recited the words: ‘As the sun rises and goeth down, we will remember them’. This is the origin of our ANZAC dawn service.

So we thought we will make a point of visiting the cemetery in Herberton and look for White’s grave.

Time did not allow us to stay until the end of the ceremony, as we needed to be on the road before they got busy with the Saturday afternoon traffic. Our proposed route was to take us between the Glass House Mountains to Landsborough and then into Caloundra and Denise’s parents place.

As we neared Beerburrum Chook2 wanted to add a photo to our ‘Out-House-Takes’ so rather than turning left before Beerburrum we rode into the village. Having posed for the photo Chook2 then decided that rather than ride back to the turn off we should change our route and follow the Steve Irwin Way through the village of Glass House Mountains and on to Landsborough.

Traffic was reasonably light although a little busier on the Steve Irwin Way and we found ourselves in Glass House Mountains for an early lunch. After a quick photo stop out the front of Australia Zoo we headed for Landsborough for an ice cream stop.

With regard to our stops at cafes and bakeries the Twaott’s sent us an email today “We're wondering how you will go on the more isolated stretches - haven't heard of too many cafes, bakeries or pubs along the Nullarbor Plain and other stretches!” Duncan and Lorraine we are also concerned about this as when we previously travelled these sections it was with a freezer in the back of the car full of ice cream and frozen goodies. To say the least we are not looking forward to the café and bakery free zones.

After along lay in the park at Landsborough we turned our bikes towards Caloundra arriving just after 3.30pm having travelled some 15km less than originally planned.

Zoom into the map and use the 'Satellite' layer to see our new location.

 

Caboolture ANZAC Day Parade

Caboolture ANZAC Day Parade

One of the four vigils in the catafalque party

"Dabs" from Morteton Bay Chapter of Patriots Australia Motorcycle Club hands out ANZAC commemorative stickers to the children.

Wreath laying

Denise poses for an 'Out House Take'

Mt Tibrogargan - Glass House Mountains, between Beerburrum and Glass House Mountains on Steve Irwin Way.

Rest area near information centre at Glass House Mountains.

Photo stop at Australia Zoo. Crocodile sculpture with cyclist helmet in mouth and using a trailer flag as a tooth pick

Ice cream stop between Landsborough shops and railway station. Denise takes her photo.

We have arrived at Halcyon Park

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