History of the ANZACS in the Albany Region
The first and second ANZAC convoys left from Albany. These convoysconsisted of troop ships from Australia and New Zealand, and included theflagship of the China Station and a Japanese battle cruiser as part of thenaval escort. The convoy left Albany for Egypt, where the troops would trainbefore being landed at Gallipoli.
For the thousands of Australian soldiers, this was their last chance towalk on Australian soil as many were killed in Gallipoli.
The first Dawn Servicewas held in 1918 by an Anglican chaplain, Padre White who served as a chaplainwith the 44th Battalion AIF, as he celebrated a Requiem Mass for the Battle Dead atthe altar of St. John’s, Albany.
After theservice he and some members of the congregation climbed to the summit of MountClarence as it was from this viewpoint that the people of Albany had gatheredin 1914 to look at the great convoy of ships that had gathered in the Sound.
It hasbeen reported that as Padre White looked over Princess Royal Harbour, he saidwe should commemorate them this way every Anzac Day.’
On April 25th,1930 Padre White celebrated a Dawn Eucharist and then accompanied by some ofhis parishioners placed a wreath on a nearby war memorial. They then went up to Mount Clarence andwaited for a boatman to lay a wreath in the water at the entrance of theharbour where it would drift into King George Sound. Padre White said ‘As the sun riseth and goethdown, we will remember them’.
Albanyhas commemorated our Anzac links by naming the channel, between King GeorgeSound and Princess Royal Harbour, Ataturk Channel. There is also a large statueof Ataturk looking out over the channel. This can be found along the Middelton BeachBoard Walk
Twoservices are held in Albany for Anzac Day. The Dawn Service up on Mt Clarenceat the Desert Mounted Corps Memorial starts at 5.30 am followed by the streetparade and Anzac Day Memorial Service, held at Albany’s Anzac Peace Park on theforeshore at 10am
The ANZAC Centenary program will take place over a number of months with special events planned for the traditional ANZAC day and Remembrance Day from 2013 through to 2018.
Important Dates to Remember
November 2013 – Ataturk Commemorations
1 November 2014 – Departure of the Convoys Re-enactment
25 April 2015 – Centenary of ANZAC
April 2016 – Padre White Commemorative Dawn Service
November 2017 – Cultural Salute to the ANZAC‘s
