ANZAC Day No.9
THE CEMETERIES.
WREATHS PLACED
ON GRAVES.
IMPRESSIVE
CEREMONY
AT TOOWONG.
AT 9 am on Saturday [ 25 April 1925 ] a large crowd assembled at The Stone of Remembrance, Toowong Cemetery, where the Rev. Canon D.J. Garland [ David John Garland ] conducted a memorial service.
The people mustered at the cemetery gates and marched in procession to the stone, singing the hymn, “Rock of Ages”.
The procession was led by a cross-bearer, followed by Canon Garland in full robes, sailors from H.M.S. Concord, carrying a beautiful wreath, Anzacs in uniform, relatives and friends of the Fallen, and the general public. There were few maimed soldiers in the procession.
The stone was covered in a Union Jack and at its base were wreaths and flowers.
Every woman had brought a big bunch of flowers and laid it at the base of the stone. It was a touching scene.
In addition to the tribute from H.M.S. Concord, there were wreaths from the R.S.S.I.L.A. [ The Returned Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Imperial League of Australia ], the Fathers’ Association [ The Sailors’ and Soldiers’ Fathers’ Association of Queensland Incorporated ], relatives and others.
“OUR GLORIOUS DEAD.”
After reading the memorial service, Canon Garland gave an impassioned address on the meaning of ANZAC Day.
He said: “On this the tenth anniversary of that never-to-be-forgotten ANZAC morning we are gathered here to remember our glorious dead – not only the 400 who rest in this cemetery; not only those who on this day 10 years ago laid down their lives as sacrifice for us on the forbidding beaches of Gallipoli; not only those noble Australians who gave their lived for us throughout the whole of the Great War; but all those gallant sons of the Empire and of the Allies who died that we might live in freedom.
“We remember them for two reasons: We remember them before God, and on the wings of prayer we lift them up; we take their memories out of our hearts and hold them up as a sacrifice before God. We plead and pray for them, as we believe they still plead and pray for us, feeling sure that God will hear our prayer.
“May their noble self-sacrifice inspire us! On this day 10 years ago, 9,000 beautiful Australian boys were wounded and poured out their blood on the shores of Gallipoli.
“On that day 2,500 were killed, and throughout the war 60,000 young Australians made the supreme sacrifice.
“The man who takes his text from Judas asks: ‘To what purpose is all this waste of blood and treasure – this terrible waste of human life?’
“It was Judas who complained that the ointment given to Our Lord was waste. He thought it would be better to sell it and give it to the poor.
“Those who talk of the waste of human life say that these young fellows would have been more usefully employed in industries; that we could not afford to lose them; their precious blood was spilt on the battlefields in vain.
“It was not, and their lives were not wasted. But for their sacrifice we should not be free men today.
LESSON OF SACRIFICE.
“These brave young fellows have shown us that life is more than materialism.
“Their sacrifice has shown us that still in the human heart, still in the British race, there throbs that heroism which will give up everything for the good of others. That is the lesson that ANZAC Day teaches us.
“If we wish to preserve the heritage which our fallen soldiers have won for us, we must show the same spirit of self-sacrifice in out daily lives; in our Churches; in our home; in our community, in political life.
“In a word: unless the people of Australia show the same spirit of self-sacrifice, God might take from them that of which they are not worthy.”
– from page 9 of “The Brisbane Courier” of 27 April 1925.
PICTURED ABOVE: Canon Garland delivers his ANZAC Day service address at The Stone of Remembrance at Toowong Cemetery just after nine o’clock on the morning of 25 April 1925, flanked by sailors from the HMS Concord.
This photo appeared on page 9 of Brisbane’s “The Brisbane Courier” newspaper on 27 April 1925.
