The

ANZAC The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) was a First World War army corps of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. It was formed in Egypt in December 1914, and operated during the Gallipoli campaign. General William Birdwood comm ...

Field of Remembrance is an annual event held at St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney,War Widows' Guild of Australia NSW Limited (1946–), Trove, National Library of Australia
/ref> which is hosted by the

War Widows' Guild of Australia NSW The War Widows' Guild of Australia NSW Ltd is a not for profit membership-based organization whose mission is to promote and protect the interests of war widows in New South Wales. Established by women and for women in June 1946 the Guild has fou ...

Ltd. The event involves the planting of wooden crosses in remembrance of those who have died due to their involvement in war.Department of Premier and Cabinet NSW (22 April 2009), Minister attends War Widows’ Guild ANZAC Service
News Release. Field of Remembrance Young Family 2009

History

The first Field of Remembrance in Sydney was held in 1952. It was an idea that originated from the late Mrs C J Pope, widow of Rear Admiral Pope, after she had visited London and been impressed by the

Field of Remembrance The Field of Remembrance is a memorial garden organised annually by the Poppy Factory in Westminster, London. For eight days, from the morning of the Thursday before Remembrance Sunday until the evening of following Thursday, the lawn of St Ma ...

held each year in an old churchyard near

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the Unite ...

. In 1972 the Attorney-General granted the War Widows’ Guild of Australia NSW Ltd permission to use the word 'ANZAC' in the title, and the Field has been known since then as the ANZAC Field of Remembrance and continues to the present day.Burge, Roslyn (2008), ''No Peacetime Cinderellas: A History of the War Widows’ Guild of Australia in New South Wales 1946–2006'', Australia: War Widows’ Guild of Australia NSW Ltd, (hbk.) p. 70

The Ceremony

A non-denominational service is held prior to Anzac Day at St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney, with a lesson read by the Governor of New South Wales.War Widows Guild of Australia NSW Website
/ref> The service is followed by the Dedication of the Field and the planting of the official crosses. The first cross is planted by the Governor in memory of

The Unknown Warrior The British grave of the Unknown Warrior (often known as 'The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior') holds an unidentified member of the British armed forces killed on a European battlefield during the First World War.Hanson, Chapters 23 & 24 He was gi ...

, followed by crosses planted on behalf of the three armed forces: Navy, Army and Air Force; the citizens of Sydney; New Zealanders and their armed forces; veterans; and war widows. The Field was originally laid out on the lawn adjoining the Cathedral near Bathurst Street. Since 2016 the Field has been in Hyde Park on the Corner of Park Street and Elizabeth Street close to the ANZAC Memorial. The crosses are planted in a set of flower boxes that are periodically used to decorate the

City of Sydney The City of Sydney is the local government area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the greater metropolitan area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Established by Act of Parliament in 1842, th ...

.Burge, Roslyn (2008), ''No Peacetime Cinderellas: A History of the War Widows’ Guild of Australia in New South Wales 1946–2006'', Australia: War Widows’ Guild of Australia NSW Ltd, (hbk.) p. 73

The Crosses

The small wooden crosses are colour-coded to represent the different armed forces. A sprig of

rosemary ''Salvia rosmarinus'' (), commonly known as rosemary, is a shrub with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers, native to the Mediterranean region. Until 2017, it was known by the scientific name ''Rosmar ...

is attached to each cross which represents a loved one gone but remembered. They are each personalised with hand written names or small messages. After the Field of Remembrance is closed, the crosses are cremated and scattered on the graves of veterans in a memorial garden.

Duration

The Field of Remembrance is open for widows and members of the public to place crosses in personal remembrance, from the day of the commemoration service until the late afternoon on Anzac Day.

Milestone

The Guild held its 60th ANZAC Field of Remembrance on 19 April 2011. At this service, war widows from major and recent conflicts laid sprays of flowers on the Chancel steps of the cathedral. The Governor of New South Wales, Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO unveiled a plaque to recognise this milestone of 60 years.

Other Fields of Remembrance

Following the establishment of the Sydney Field of Remembrance, the War Widows’ Guild has also held Fields of Remembrance in Albury, Newcastle, The Entrance and Tamworth. The War Widows’ Guild in the Australian Capital Territory and TasmaniaOffice of the Governor of Tasmania (2009–2010), The Year in Review
Annual Report also hold Fields of Remembrance.

References

{{Reflist

External links

War Widows Guild of Australia NSW
Observances honoring victims of war April events ANZAC (Australia) Widowhood