LEST WE FORGET
Remembrance is well and truly alive but it is changing … according to this article on Remembrance in the Digital Age by Historian Tom Sear Published in the Conversation. Tom writes about how digital technology has changed the way we commemorate … that we are more connected than ever through social media and it allows us to share our thoughts, feelings, images, communal mourning in a more immediate way.
He writes … “While the rituals of Remembrance Day seem unchanging, in truth, they are being transformed in our contemporary connected culture. On the first Remembrance Day, people who had experienced World War I firsthand stood together in a single silence filled with private, personal memories of pain and loss. They knew the person next to them was doing the same, but not what was in their thoughts.
Today, the internet offers a chance to personalise our commemoration by choosing when, where and how we take part. We can listen to a recorded two minutes’ silence anytime. A selfie taken in a yoga studio and tagged #RemembranceDay is our modern day equivalent of standing still in the factory or the parlour. We are keen to be seen joining in, and can watch and respond in real time to how others are marking the occasion. Online chatter, and frequently debate about the meaning of war, breaks through the silence.”
Certainly in this period of intense Remembrance activity as the Centenary of Anzac (2014-2018) and its attendant ceremonies and services play out in the various theatres … more and more people are finding their own way(s) to honour our servicemen and women for their service and sacrifice.
And so, it has been a busy couple of weeks for us at PHQ … we have had a lovely time with loaning out our babies for small and not so small installations around Melbourne.
Firstly … Moonee Valley Racing had a twilight race meet with a remembrance theme on 11 November. Veterans and RSL members were given free entry and the RSL was busy selling poppies as part of their annual Poppy Appeal. It was a fun night. 5000 Poppies helped in the pre-promotion of the evening with an installation on the course at Moonee Valley … with echoes of an iconic photo from post WWI.
Photo from Herald Sun 2016
We were also involved in a fantastic installation down at the RAAF Airbase at Point Cook (Melbourne) in commemoration of the Centenary of the Australian Flying Corps. Such an honour to be involved.
Point Cook AFC Centenary 2016
Point Cook AFC Centenary 2016
Our very own esteemed videographer David E Books Esq. made us a video of the day. You can view it by clicking here.
There were countless other 5000 Poppies inspired installations over the Remembrance Day period … small and large … here are a few images. Every one of these installation is a poignant reminder of those that sacrificed for us.
LEST WE FORGET
Alexandra Club Melbourne 2016
East Malvern RSL 2016
Fiona Briggs Lowestoft England
Library Install 2016 … no details
Mooloolah Community Centre Qld 2016
Gippsland Installation 2016 … no details
National Vietnam Veterans Museum Cowes 2016 — Orange Poppies … beautiful
Wal’s Battalion’s Memorial at the Shrine of Remembrance Melbourne 2016 in honour of Wal and Stan
Kylie’s Respite Group 2016
Tumby Bay SA Spin Stitch and Weave Installation 2016
Middle East Service
Did you share your photo with us?
And so … we are still working here. The poppies strings are being refined with the tags removed and the poppies sewn on … it makes such an amazing difference.
There is ongoing work on the nets although we have slowed down to take a deep breath for a few minutes.
Poppy making has begun again but we will step up the pace early next year so that we can supply 50,000 beautiful handmade gems to the RSL 2018 Poppy Appeal … that will be amazing … we hope to raise well in excess of half a million dollar through sales of our poppies alone.
Work continues on our plans for 2018 at the Australian War Memorial. We are all very excited about it and plan to make it a fitting finale.
Lynn x
5000 POPPIES 
I love the reuse & recycling of the poppies, rebirthed into new installations. Beautiful.