Australian Embassy and Mission to the EU

Belgium-Luxembourg

Embassy address: Rue Guimardstraat 6-8, 1040 Brussels - Telephone: +32 (0) 2 286 0500 - Fax: +32 (0) 2 231 07 88

Anzac Day

► ANZAC Day on the Western Front, Belgium - Monday, 25 April 2011

Each year, on 25 April, Australians gather at memorial services to commemorate ANZAC Day, and to remember the sacrifice of those who lost their lives for our freedom.

In Belgium, the cities of Zonnebeke and Ypres on ANZAC Day traditionally honour the Australian Diggers who died in the fields of Flanders, where 6000 Australian volunteer soldiers gave their life during World War I.

This year, Australian Ambassador to Belgium, HE Dr Brendan Nelson, will lead Australia's official delegation to these services, and will be joined by Australians young and old.

PROGRAM OF THE DAY
06.00: Dawn Service at the Buttes New British Cemetery at Polygon Wood
(organised by Zonnebeke)
07.00: Australian Embassy coach departing Brussels to Zonnebeke
09.00: Breakfast (offered by the Mayor of Zonnebeke) and speeches at the Zonnebeke School
10.00: Tyne Cot Cemetery
11.00: Ypres - ANZAC Day Service with Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate
12.00: Reception at Ypres Youth Centre
(offered by the Mayor of Ypres - Ieper)
13.00: End of the official morning program/lunch
14.45: Australian Embassy coach departs Ypres to Ploegsteert
16.00: Toronto Avenue Cemetery in Ploegsteert
17.00: Australian Embassy coach to depart Ploegsteert to Brussels
18.30: Australian Embassy coach arrives at Embassy in Brussels
20.00: Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate, Ypres

The Zonnebeke authorities will welcome the delegation for a Dawn Service at the Buttes New British Cemetery at Polygon Wood.

Free shuttle service Zonnebeke-Buttes New British Cemetery -Zonnebeke:
Members of the public attending the Dawn Service at 6am are strongly advised to make use of the free shuttle service provided by the commune of Zonnebeke, starting from 5.30 am at the Zonnebeke Chateau. This service runs every 10 minutes.

The Dawn Service will be followed by a breakfast for all in Zonnebeke starting at 9am. Thereafter a service will take place at the Tyne Cot Cemetery in Passchendaele starting 10 am.

Polygon Wood is a large wood south of Zonnebeke which was completely devastated in the First World War. On the butte itself is the Battle Memorial of the 5th Australian Division which captured it on 26 September 1917. The Buttes New British Cemetery is an irregular front-line cemetery made between August 1917 and April 1918, and used again in September 1918. There are now 2,108 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in Buttes New British Cemetery.

'Tyne Cot' or 'Tyne Cottage' was the name given by the Northumberland Fusiliers to a barn which stood near the level crossing on the Passchendaele-Broodseinde road. The barn, which had become the centre of five or six German blockhouses, or pill-boxes, was captured by the 3rd Australian Division on 4 October 1917, in the advance on Passchendaele. Tyne Cot Cemetery lies on a broad rise in the landscape which overlooks the surrounding countryside. As such, it was strategically important to both sides fighting in the area. The area was captured by the 3rd Australian Division and the New Zealand Division on 4 October 1917. The Cross of Sacrifice that marks many CWGC cemeteries was built on top of a German pill box in the centre of the cemetery. There are 1353 Australian graves.

In Ypres, the Australian delegation will meet the New Zealand delegation and local officials, and all will march in procession from the Cloth Hall to the Menin Gate for an ANZAC Day Service with the Last Post ceremony, and then to the Belgian War Memorial. Following those ceremonies, the Ypres Mayor will host a reception at the Ypres Youth Centre that all are welcome to attend.

In the afternoon, an official service will take place at Toronto Avenue Cemetery in Ploegsteert (about 15 minutes drive from Ypres). Toronto Avenue Cemetery, situated inside Ploegsteert Wood, was established by the Australian 3rd Division with the onset of the Battle of Messines on 7 June 1917. The cemetery contains 78 graves of officers and men of the 9th Brigade (3rd Australian Division) who died in the Battle of Messines between 7 and 10 June 1917.

Free shuttle service Ploegsteert-Toronto Avenue-Ploegsteert: Access to Toronto Avenue is difficult and will require some walking and potentially muddy pathways. There is no parking at Toronto Avenue Cemetery itself. Members of the public wishing to attend this ceremony need to take into account the remote position of the Toronto Avenue Cemetery in their travel plans, and are strongly advised to make use of the free shuttle service provided by the authorities of Comines-Warneton. This service starts at 3pm from the Place de Ploegsteert, where parking space is available in the vicinity.

For more information on Australians on the Western Front and First World War battlefields, click here.

For any further inquiries, please contact the Public Affairs Unit at the Australian Embassy in Brussels
by email: pubaffs.brussels@dfat.gov.au
by phone: +32 (0)2 286 0504

► The spirit of the Digger in all of us

By Melissa Gunn & Hope Skinner

ANZAC Day 25th April 2008 in West Flanders was a very special and significant day, marking 90 years in Australian history. “Us” Australian exchange students had the honour to represent our country by participating in the special ceremonies in Belgium hosted by the Commune of Zonnebeke and the City of Ypres.

To start off the day, we arrived at the Zonnebeke Chateau and were welcomed with a complimentary breakfast and speeches given by the Mayor, Mr Dirk Cardoen, and the Australian Ambassador, HE Dr Alan Thomas, who both expressed their happiness in maintaining the relationships between Australia and Belgium. This was also a chance to casually meet the fellow Australians who came to participate in the ceremony. We then listened to the buglers and laid wreaths at the Municipal War Memorial in Zonnebeke.

Afterwards we took the bus to the Tyne Cot Cemetery located in Passchendaele where we listened to Mr Kirk’s very moving testimony and the story of his father who fought in Passchendaele and back in Australia named his citrus orchard by this battle that meant so much to him, though he never spoke about it to his son who concluded that all should share their memories with their families, not matter what. Australian Commander Dunchue read the exhortation followed by a minute’s silence. Then, the St Andrew’s Cathedral School Choir from Sydney sang while wreaths were laid.

We then took the bus to the Ypres Town Hall where we were met by the Mayor, Mr. Luc Dehaene and other officials, and marched to the Menin Gate preceded by the Scherminkel Band from Ypres. We continued with another ceremony and more laying of wreaths, to the National Anthems of both Australia and New Zealand.

The official party reformed in a procession to the Belgian War Memorial and then on to the Ypres Town Hall for an event which included speeches delivered by Australian exchange students (Brooke Gabriel and Tom Quaid) and also by a New Zealand exchange student. The official ceremony concluded with an exchange of gifts and a reception during which the St Andrew’s Cathedral School Choir performed.

We, the exchange students, then had free time for one hour, to walk around and to see another part of this region of Belgium.

At 2pm, we participated in an informal program: walking through the Polygon Wood cemetery and Tyne Cot Cemetery, to gain a realistic idea of the battles fought on this land and to pay respects to those who rest there.

After a day of commemorating, all of the Australians said that they ‘felt true pride in being Australian’. Experiencing ANZAC Day in another country has brought out the Digger in all of us.

Thank you to the community of Zonnebeke and that of Ypres, and the Australian and New Zealand Embassies for making such an enjoyable and memorable day possible.

Melissa Gunn and Hope Skinner are WEP (World Education Program) exchange students. Melissa goes to school in Belgium at Athénée Royal Jourdan in Fleurus and in Australia at Chairo Christian School, Drouin, Victoria. Hope goes to school in Belgium at Athénée Royal Prince Baudouin in Marchin and in Australia at Kingscliff High School, Kingscliff, New South Wales.