Tour 2008 - Tour Diary
Day 10 and 11: Monday 28 April
Cassie Mutton - Day 10 and 11, Returning Home and Reflection
Today we woke for our final day in France. Although sad that the tour had ended so quickly there was excitement in the air at the prospect of visiting the Louvre during the morning to see many of the famous paintings, sculptures and artefacts exhibited there.
We loaded the coach and set off for the Louvre. Over 9 million people visit this magnificent museum each year, with thousands looking to visit each day. Although on a tight schedule we managed to see many famous pieces including the Mona Lisa, Madonna on the Rocks and La Venus de Milo, as well as viewing the Egyptian and Roman collections on display. A number of pieces were truly amazing and the size of some was quite overwhelming. To see the entire museum would take well over a week and we had to accept that it was impossible to see everything in the collection. We departed the Louvre and headed straight to Charles de Gaulle airport. After some duty free shopping we finally boarded the plane for the journey home. After just over 6 hours we landed in Dubai. A short stop and we were back on the plane and headed home to Perth.
As I sit here now with 3˝ hours until we touch down in Perth, I can reflect on my experiences over the past 10 days. Although our tour has come to an end we will retain wonderful memories and experiences. Our tour has had many highlights including visiting the battlefields and cemeteries where our men fought and died, the Last Post Service at Menin Gate and the Dawn Service and 90th anniversary commemorations at Villers Bretonneux. All these places and events have been amazing, and all together, quite emotional for all.
We have all learnt and experienced so much throughout the tour. We leave with a vast knowledge of the many battles of the Western Front during World War I and a greater understanding of what our men experienced during the war.
It was great to have the Premier join us for a few days on tour. We were able to participate and share with him all that we had learned and our pride at being the few select students to travel to France and Belgium as part of this very worthwhile educational program. I, like all the students, have learnt so much about the ANZAC legend. I will take home my experiences to share with others and ensure that the ANZAC legend remains strong and alive.
It has been both a very educational and emotional once in a lifetime opportunity that we will never forget. Thank you to the people of Western Australia and the State Government for making it all possible and a special thank you to all the staff that accompanied us, Robyn, Phil, Mike, Rosinda and Liz. You all shared your knowledge and extended our understanding and made this tour simply amazing.
As our journey ends here after almost 9 months of planning and hard work, we reflect back and realise that it was all worth the effort and commitment. We all have wonderful memories and experiences which will remain with us for years to come.
Day 9 : Sunday 27 April
Claire McLaughlin and Rachel Drake-Brockman - Day 9, Palace of Versailles
Today we woke and left for the Palace of Versailles. Upon arrival we were faced with a huge and beautiful chapel where the likes of King Louis XIV and Marie-Antoinette would have once roamed. We then proceeded to the private bed chambers of the then Royal Family. We were met with an array of magnificent paintings, marble statues and woven silks. The rooms were adorned with gold lined walls and splendid views of the Palaces many gardens. This collection of rooms led to the Hall of Mirrors where the Treaty of Versailles was signed in July 1919. Through the mirrors was Marie-Antoinette's private bedroom which flourished in floral walls and bright colours. There is a maze of concealed doorways which are said to lead to the Kings chamber. The Kings bedroom is stunning with its eccentric doorways and wooden carvings.
We then proceeded to the magnificent gardens of Versailles. When the palace was still under construction it was the garden that formed the object of the Monarch's undivided attention. This scene of nascent splendour is built over an area of more than a thousand hectares. These gardens are arguably the most refined in the world with impressive engineering work with such creations of water fountains with immense labyrinths of pipe work and innovative use of gravity. After lunch we walked down to Marie-Antoinette private hamlet where we learnt first hand Marie's preferred simplistic life. This village reflected a peasant lifestyle with clay houses and thatched rooves. Upon walking around the miniature village we came across Marie-Antoinette's animal farm with and array of horses, donkeys, chickens, goats and a cow.
After our expedition around the village in which many car launches, movies and modelling shoots have been held, we headed back to the gardens to watch the fountain display. Many photos were taken amongst the array of tourists. After this we headed back to the hotel to drop of our things and headed off to tacky tourist souvenir central and purchased various gifts until our tacky tourist craving was satisfied. It was then a quick return visit to our hotel to deposit our purchases before we ventured off to our final dinner on tour. Dessert again involved a visit to an ice cream shop discovered by Robyn on a previous visit to Paris. We had already had an ice cream from the same shop the night before and could not go without another before leaving Paris - the fact that they were shaped in the design pf a flower perhaps ensured that they tasted terrific.
All very tired we retreated to our hotel room to do some final packing and sleep before we depart tomorrow.
Day 8 : Saturday 26 April
Emma Hains - Day 8
After catching up on some much needed sleep last night after an early rise for the dawn service yesterday morning, we were all awake and looking forward to our day ahead.
First stop after a twenty minute bus ride was the Australian National War Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux. We were back here today for the traditional ANZAC service that is held annually on the closest Saturday to the 25th by the French people.
Although a traditional ANZAC service, we saw today more involvement of the French community. French war veterans stood in a guard of honour, each proudly holding the colours (battle honour flags) the local regions we have recently visited. Fromelles, Peronne and of course Villers-Bretonneux were among the names. These men, alongside representatives of the Australian Army and members of the current French forces held their flags high as the Australian and French national anthems were played one after the other. The prayers and the poems read were beautiful, and the address given by the recently appointed mayor of Villers-Bretonneux spoke of the enormous amount respect and gratitude the French community have for us, as the descendants of such a brave generation of young men which we have experienced first hand throughout our time in their country.
At the completion of the service we were again on the bus and on our way to the presentation of the Sadlier-Stokes Scholarship prize, which is awarded by the Australian Government to a French student, giving them an opportunity to further their studies in the future. For the first time not one or two, but seventeen students from the one small school were awarded with the scholarship. The students were excited and genuinely appreciative and it was extremely moving to stand and listen to students, some not much older than 10 years old thank us as the representatives of all Australians in a language they knew very little of. The presentation reflected the strong relationships still present between Australia and France 90 years on.
We proceeded to the town centre where we held a small service at a public memorial. We spotted a few unlaid wreaths, and as they were labelled "From the people of Melbourne" and along with a man from Ballarat, a French couple and the mayor of the town himself we laid the two wreaths, with one of our own in the last service we were to host. It was fitting that we concluded our tour of the Western Front here as Hannah spoke about Armistice Day and the conclusion and fatalities of the horrific Great War.
After arriving in Paris after a nice lunch we revisited some of its famous sights, taking photos at the Eiffel Tower and visiting the beautiful cathedral of Notre Dam. Dinner at a local restaurant followed by a visit to an ice cream parlour concluded the evening.
Today we concluded our visits to the battlefields of the Western Front and attending the service at Villers-Brettoneux followed by the presentation of the Sadlier-Stokes scholarship gave us a more insightful understanding of the war, as we were able to see first hand the strength of the relationship held between the Australians and the French. As the sign at the Victoria School suggests, they will never forget Austalia.
Day 7: Friday 25 April
Neil Graham and Merredith Cully - Day 7
It's 12.50am and Tom's alarm just went off. We woke up an hour early! This morning is special, as we have our dawn service. We leave for Villers-Bretonneux at 2.30am, to get there at 3am. It's still dark, and I'm really excited about the service. I think it's the biggest in France! We're getting ready now - I feel like an Eskimo in my uniform! We have a fleece, blazer and wind protector, so that we don't freeze to death at the service. Apparently it's going to be six degrees!
The memorial looks amazing in the early hours of the morning. red light floods the tower in a representation of the blood spilled during the war. A bone-chilling gush of wind hits me as step from the bus. I'm now glad I was forced to look like an Eskimo, although the tip of my nose feels like it could drop off at any moment.
It was amazing to se how many Australians have come to attend the dawn service. An estimated 10,000 people were here today. The Villers-Bretonneux Dawn Service was a very official event, where Cory and Meredith read the second reading, and Tom and Ilka laid a wreath with Premier Alan Carpenter on behalf of Western Australia.
After breakfast back at the hotel in Amiens, we freshened up and went straight back to Villers-Bretonneux. Here we watched, and joined in, a small ANZAC pageant. Three Light Horse enthusiasts we met earlier in Pozieres rode their horses in the parade.
We also made a quick stop at the Villers-Bretonneux Cathedral, where a replica cross was being presented to the town. The Cathedral was very intricately decorated, with stained glass windows and low chandelier-type lights. The St. George's Cathedral Choir sang beautifully at the ceremony.
After the reverberation of the angelic like singing around the cathedral, we all left feeling quite uplifted and overwhelmed, amazed at the beauty of the church and reflecting on the morning's effort and emotions. We all thought about the beauty of this morning's ceremony and how we were each touched deeply by the French people's graciousness. The Dawn Service made each and every on of us think of the lives which had come before us; the men, brothers, sons, fathers and friends who in 1918 would have not at all expected to be remembered and honoured in such a way, for so many years. A great pride in being a Western Australian and in belonging to such an honoured nation overcame all of us as we climbed onto the bus a half hour before noon.
We drove to the Roye Hotel for our planned lunch with the Premier Alan Carpenter, and the South Australia delegation. Their tour, much alike ours, was lead by the South Australian Minister for Education, Mrs Lomax-Smith. Everyone was looking forward to meeting the other students as we were all interested in their experiences and thoughts; we were ready to compare notes of destinations, entry processes and favourite places. We arrived at the hotel just after noon to a small, but warm reception. The students introduced themselves to Mrs Lomax-Smith, as we entered the dining room. The South Australian students were already seated at the table and so we tentatively took our places. They all introduced themselves and we began chatting like good friends after a few minutes of polite exchanges. Naomi, Kieran, Rebecca, Richard and Matty were all from different schools around South Australia and were very much like us. We discussed our shared experiences; the dawn service at Villers-Bretonneux, many cemeteries around northern France and Belgium and presentations on soldiers, battlefields and family or friends. Although the aims of the tours were similar, we went through different entry processes, have different uniforms, different amount of representatives and a different foci. An example of this was their focus on particular battlefields, tactics and the trench warfare system; the most commonly used defence of the Great War, as compared to our attention to the Western Australian contribution and the experiences of specific soldiers such at Lt. Sadlier and Sgt. Stokes.
After a wonderful three course lunch, the Premier, presented a small gift to the South Australian students on behalf of our state, assisted by Veronica who also gave the students a Western Australian Pin. Mrs Lomax-Smith responded with a similar gesture of good will, in presenting our tour with the ANZAC Student Tour Beanie and pin, with Tom introducing each of us to the Minister. After a group photo we said our goodbyes to the Students from our neighbouring state, the Premier and the South Australian Minister for Education as they departed to attend other official commitments. We farewelled our peers, in hope that the friendship between further tours would continue. We drove back to our hotel in Amiens, tired, exhausted and reflective of our day and tour so far.
The afternoon was spent catching-up on much-needed sleep, writing our journals and recharging our camera batteries and ourselves in readiness for tomorrow's further commemorations and experiences. Today had been another stark awakening to our country's sacrifice, yet at the same time an opportunity to honour those who fought and many of who paid the ultimate sacrifice ninety years ago, in order to preserve and protect the hopes, dreams and aspirations of the people and nation as a whole. The Dawn Service, the following commemorations in Villers-Bretonneux, and lunch with the South Australia delegation saw a culmination of our pilgrimage to the Western Front and encapsulated our purpose and honour for our countrymen.
We retired to our rooms that night exhausted, but exhilarated from the day's experiences.
Day 6: Thursday 24 April
Hannah Castledine - Day 6, Ypres Salient Battlefields
The sixth day of our tour commenced with a considerably lighter breakfast after devouring ridiculous amounts of Belgian chocolate the previous night. Fuelled on these delights, we met with the Premier Alan Carpenter and embarked for the Salient battlefields.
Donning our jackets, we scrambled off the bus for the Tyne Cot Cemetery: the largest Commonwealth War Cemetery in the world. Here, 11 871 graves lie and an additional 35 000 names are engraved on the walls. Everyone was immediately overwhelmed at the incredible sea of white headstones; they went on and on and on! It was quite upsetting to think that there were that many graves and names in only one cemetery. However, its stunning tulips and lush green grass make it a beautiful and serene place for the fallen soldiers to rest.
We proceeded on our day's tour to Zonnebeke, where we visited an excellent war museum. The main feature here was the amazing replicas of World War One bunkers, which, as well as being accurate in detail, also included sound effects. This combination was very effective in making us feel as though we were present in the war.
After lunch and our "who-has-the-best-news-voice" competition, we held our own short ceremony at the 5th Australian Division Memorial, in Polygon Wood. At the cemetery here, the lay-out of the graves was very unorganised and scattered, because the headstones were placed on the original burial sites of the men who were killed during the war.
On the bus trip back to Villers-Bretonneux, Tom and I interviewed the Premier, gaining a great insight to the Fremantle Dockers, particularly Matthew Pavlich! After farewelling the Premier and his staff, we settled into our busy hotel, which was buzzing with Anzac Day-excited Australians, whom we conversed with in the buffet line. Understandably, we retired early to our rooms, eager to get as much sleep as possible before the 2 am wakeup call that would soon greet us.
Day 5: Wednesday 23 April
Veronica Lam - Day 5, Fromelles
We all woke up this morning at 6 am, all very exhausted from the day before but excited about the upcoming event in the ancient city of Ypres, Belgium - The Last Post Service.
After a very fulfilling breakfast, we set off for the first leg of the day, Fromelles which was the very first place that our fellow Australians saw major action on the Western Front. As we travelled approximately two hours we arrived at the war museum which displayed the war weapons and artillery which have been preserved from the war by the local community members of this small French town. We were also given the chance to host the ANZAC Service at the VC (Victoria Cross) Corner Cemetery, where we paid our respects to our fallen soldiers of our sunburnt land on beautiful French lush green grass, surrounded by the lively tulips. It was here that we found the name of Phil White's (2008 ANZAC Deputy Tour Leader), great uncle, Adolf Thompson Knable who was Lance-Corporal in the 32nd battalion in World War One. Knable was one of the many thousands killed during the battle. His remains were discovered in 2006 at Pheasant Wood which is near the site of the battle.. VC Corner is known as the memorial where there are no marked graves.
We also had the chance to step on the very soil our diggers' enemies once stood on at - Cobber's Memorial. There lay the statue of "Sergeant Simon Fraser". During the battle in Fromelles, all our soldiers were heavily attacked by our enemies when Fromelle was flooded by the bodies of their dear mates; our heroes, Sergent Frasier risked his own life and ran into, no-mans land, to save his soldiers. On his journey through no mans land carrying a wounded comrade the battle lines, Fraser came across a fellow digger who called out in agony, "Don't forget me Cobber". This was the story behind the famous statue of Sergent Fraser.
Being given the chance to express our gratitude and pay our respects to the young soldiers, some of which who were not much older than us, was truly an amazing opportunity of a lifetime and something that every one of us would certainly never forget.
Thomas Murphy - Day 5, Menin Gate
It's not very often that one wakes up in France, it's a great feeling. However, when you wake up in France, and the, you go to bed in Belgium, that is amazing. After the events of the morning we were suitably impressed.
Belgium and specifically Ypres was amazing, we marvelled at the magnificent architecture and the nature and attitude of the city. After a short wonder we met with the Premier Alan Carpenter and his party, we went and saw the Great Market and the breathtakingly stunning cloth hall. Soon after we went to dinner at Poppy's Steakhouse and Pizzeria. After a good meal, we left the restaurant for Menin Gate.
Menin Gate was amazing, the shear enormity of the monument itself was spectacular. The ceremony was amazing, the family and community links that tied many of us personally to the Gate just made it more personal. Even though the ceremony was only 15 minutes, the fact that they do it every night makes clear their appreciation of the Anzac Legend.
After the Premier departed we invested in some delicious Belgium chocolate and returned to our hotel.
Day 4: Tuesday 22 April
Cory Gray - Day 4
Waking up in France is an amazing feeling, and this morning was the second time we were lucky enough to experience this feeling.
We left our hotel in Amiens at 7.20 am to visit the Gothic Cathedral and we took some more group photos and admired the ancient architecture.
After returning to the hotel and having breakfast, we headed for the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Brettoneux. We had a talk by Claire and Tom who presented their speeches on the battle of Villers-Brettoneux and Lieutenant Sadlier. Each of us then spent time paying our respects to the fallen soldiers, many of whom were from Western Australian battalions. After an emotional experience for everyone from finding relatives and ancestors that had died on the land we now stood, we headed back to the top of the memorial and had some group photos with the beautiful country side in the background, as far as the eye could see. All around the memorial site was a hive of activity by French and Australian officials as they began to prepare for the 90th Anniversary ceremony in three days time on April the 25th.
On the was back to the bus, walking down from the memorial passing hundreds of graves, both named and unnamed of Australians and other soldiers from a variety of allied armies, we witnessed the importance of the diggers sacrifice to others as we saw and spoke to many other Australians of all ages who were also visiting the memorial and honouring our Anzac's. Now that our emotional encounter with the Villers-Brettoneux memorial was at an end we boarded the bus again and made our way to the Village of Peronne.
Upon arriving at Peronne we had a traditional baguette lunch and had a chance to reflect on the experiences we had all shared that day. We then visited the Historial de la Grande Guerre 14-18 (Peronne Museum), located in a castle fortress built in the 13th century. It consisted of both static and interpretative displays of the uniforms, equipment, images of both the Allies and Central Powers and was a very good insight into the experiences endured by both sides of the Great War.. It was here that we where we also filmed by a Channel 7 News crew from Sydney, who obviously saw the value and importance of this experience as being relevant to all Australians.
We then travelled a short distance to the village of Villers-Brettoneux and toured the Victoria Primary School/Museum. When we arrived at the school and stepped over the threshold it was an amazing experience as the interest in and devotion to Australia shone through. The village and school were adorned with Australian symbols, images of Australian animals, place names and even green and gold flags.
The museum on the second floor of the school was full of donated memorabilia, much of which was specific to Australian involvement, and is the most famous school in France in the eyes of Australia because it was rebuilt after WW1 by donations from students from across Victoria in the 1920's, hence its name. Perhaps the most notable symbol of the close bond between this grateful French community and Australia is the huge green and gold sign that dominates the central courtyard/playground 'Do Not Forget Australia'.
Next up was our visit to the Adelaide Cemetery where we laid a wreath in honour of the tens of thousands of unknown soldiers whose remains where never found after the Great War. This was very emotional and special to everyone, as it represented the love and respect that could not be paid to each individual by their loved ones.
Finally we are back at the hotel in the historic and beautiful city of Amiens, waiting to go out for dinner, where most of us experienced the cultural delight of escargot (yes, snails) which on the contrary to what you might think, were very nice.
Until next time.
Au revoir, bon nuit!
Day 3: Monday 21 April
Alice Henderson - Day 2, The Somme and Battlefields
Our first official stop for this tour was Le Grande Mine. The enormity of it, the reality, the ability to recognise that no matter how good a soldier you were, you would still die, it was a huge experience. The informative speech that our fantastic tour leaders gave was truly moving. Basically at this point in World War I, the Germans and British had reached a stalemate position. Using a new strategy, the British dug an underground tunnel until they were directly below the German front line. In the aim of creating a huge distraction they set off 50,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate. Hundreds of kilometres away, citizens thought there was an earthquake. Debris blasted more than a kilometre upwards. The blast was the biggest seen in history in Europe. Now, there is a crater 200 metres wide and 50 metres deep. For all of us, seeing it personally was shocking, emotional, and thought provoking.
Next on the agenda, we visited Pozieres to hold our inaugural ceremony. Of all the French towns on the Western Front, there is no place that has witnessed more Australian courage and sacrifice than Pozieres. It took Gallipoli eight months to lose the number of men that Pozieres claimed in just six weeks. If the Anzac legend was born at Gallipoli, it grew up at Pozieres.
The windmill is now a rise of land only four metres above the surrounding ground, yet in 1916 it was a vital strategic position. Standing on that rise, we could see for kilometres in every direction. You can imagine how difficult, bordering impossible, it would be for any soldier to successfully cross over the open ground between trenches under direct observation and fire from this position. At the service we hosted, Rachel and Claire laid a beautiful wreath. Surrounding us were townspeople from Pozieres, Australian soldiers and the wife of the local Tommy Café owner playing the bagpipes. Tears flowed from all eyes.
Day 1 and 2: Saturday 19 April
Ilka Mitchell - Days 1 and 2
The first moments of ANZAC Student Tour 2008 happened when we began writing our speeches for presentation in Term 3 2007, and many months later we arrived at the Perth Airport on 19 April 2008, all nervous and extremely excited.
We flew out of Perth at 10:30pm and we were meant to sleep for the majority of the trip as we knew that would have a busy day when we arrived in Paris, but our excitement got the better of us, with little sleep to be had. The exception to this rule seemed to be our wonderful media officer, Liz, and Rachael, who had never been on a plane before the experience.
We landed in Dubai, and had a little time to explore the airport in groups, we then went to look at the McDonalds, just to see how different it was to ours and met some Australian soldiers who were on their way from serving overseas. Before we left Liz had pointed out to us that in the airport suspended from the roof was a UFO!
The second plane trip was a lot of fun, we had Polaroid group pictures with some of the Emirates flight staff, who also gave us some awesome tasting chocolate cake before we left. We landed in France and after leaving the airport we met with our tour guide Denise, who began speaking in enthusiastic French, that none of us could understand. As we struggled to know where to look on the way into Paris it became apparent that French drivers drive a lot differently to Australians, weaving around our bus incredibly quickly.
After quickly checking into our hotel we left for dinner, which was a lot of fun in a little café around the corner from the hotel. We then went onto the Metro, traveling on a double-decker train, something none of us had ever seen before.
We then walked to the Eiffel Tower, which was amazing. It was all and more than we imagined it to be. It was well worth the plane trip over. We went up to the third platform of the tower, and were privileged to a 360 degree view of Paris which is indescribably amazing. On the way down from the top the tower the lights were turned on and it began raining. The tower lit up and the view was even more spectacular on the way back to the hotel. When we got back to the hotel we all settled in for a well deserved sleep in preparation for an early morning departure the next day.
- 2008 Tour Topics
- Historical Significance
- Participants (Student)
- Participants (Staff)
- Tour Diary
- Media Statements
- 2008 Tour Extras
- Official Photograph
- Tour Reports