9 December 2016 – 198 302
National ANZAC Centre and Albany Heritage Park, Albany
This morning we visited some beautiful lookouts with views over King George Sound and Princess Royal Harbour.
The National ANZAC Centre was today’s
destination.
This is an amazing
facility, with all the usual visual boards regarding the entire First World War
from the perspective of Australia and New Zealand forces, particularly those
that left in the first and second convoys departing from Albany. There was also an auditory device that you
could listen to additional material related to many of the visual boards. Each visitor was given a card of an
individual from either the first or
second convoys – these were inserted into a reader at various locations to give
information on that individual’s journey and experience during the First World
War. There are also a number of spaces
set aside in the area for sitting and thinking. Overall this is a fantastic
facility and well worth the entry fee, however it would be great if this was
federally funded and free to all Australians (and New Zealanders). We also took a guided tour of the Princess
Royal Fortress – this is beautifully maintained, in terms of both the buildings
and the assorted weaponry, with the guns still being able to be swivelled and
elevated.
A short climb took us up to
Padre White Lookout, from where the first Australian ANZAC service was
conducted.
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