Witness of history

This morning’s early morning start saw us back in Perth Airport to travel down to Albany. We visited the National Anzac Centre where we were each able to follow a personal story of a soldier or nurse through their involvement in conflict. The information was well presented and it was very meaningful to be connected to a particular figure. We then made our way around the location looking at the different gun defences and also the location of the Dawn Service. This was especially meaningful to me as Albany is very close to home and I was walking in the footsteps of the men and women who had gone to fight for our country. To know that I shared a place of importance with those soldiers so long ago, made me feel very connected to them, and even more saddened by the atrocities they faced.

We roamed around Princess Fortress on the top of Mount Adelaide, exploring the outdoor military museum and site of the National Anzac Centre. We began by strolling up to the Convoy Lookout, where we got a view of Ataturk Channel, with stunning views over King George Sound, leading into Princess Royal Harbour. This is where the ships filled with Australian and New Zealand soldiers departed for Gallipoli on 1 November 1914. Set onto the granite peak of Mount Adelaide, the Convoy’s elevated view over the sound is breathtaking. Ataturk is the Turkish name given to the bay –the Turkish Government reciprocally named the beach at Gallipoli where the Australian and New Zealand troops landed as Anzac Cove.