Remembrance Day

The Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Prize is an annual competition open to students in Years Nine to Twelve. The Prize invites students to explore the Anzac legacy post-First World War and its ongoing relevance in twenty-first-century society. This year’s entrants were encouraged to explore the significance of the Shrine of Remembrance Melbourne or a local community’s war memorial honouring Australians who have served in war and peacekeeping.

Castlefield student William, grandson of Bill Trueman (OH 1958), responded and was awarded one of the Anzac Prizes by creating an art piece inspired by the receipts from donations that supported the cost of building the Shrine. Titled “Receipts, Red Cross and Remembrance,” the collage concept for this project was influenced by the montage-style glasswork ceiling by Australian artist Leonard French found in the Great Hall at the National Gallery of Victoria. The same artist also created stained glass mosaic windows featured in the David Bradshaw Chapel at Keysborough.

The art piece included a scaled image of the Red Cross flag with ‘Widow’s Mite” receipts stored in the Shrine’s Crypt. The original Red Cross flag flown by the 3rd Field Ambulance at Gallipoli is currently housed at the Western Australia Museum. After consulting the Collections and Research department at the Western Australia Museum, the Red Cross image for this artwork was produced at 60 percent to scale. The receipts featured in the collage are repeated to honour the generosity of Australians who could ill-afford to donate but did so on principle. The competition required images of the art piece to be submitted online. The collage was photographed in the Shrine’s Crypt on Anzac Day 2024 accompanied by a Shrine Guard. It was also photographed in a Shrine courtyard area with an Officer of the Australian Army Cadets.

The twelve Prize recipients were invited to attend a study tour of Turkey in the recent September school holidays. This included a visit to Gallipoli to retrace the steps of the ANZACs. The students were also asked to take part in the “Adopt A Digger” project. William chose to honour Haileybury student Lieutenant George Webster Binnie. Believed to be aged twenty nine years and a professional soldier, he enlisted on the 19th October 1914 and was given the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. He embarked with the 13th Battalion, “F’ Coy, from Melbourne on board Transport A38 Ulysses on the 22nd December 1914. He was killed in action at Quinn’s Post on 3rd May 1915 at Gallipoli aged thirty years. It is reported he has no known grave, but is commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial (Panel 17), Gallipoli, Turkey. It is believed he lived close to the Castlefield campus in Brighton.

William thought the Gallipoli experience was quite different to his initial expectations, unlike anything described in history books. The topography of the area created a challenge, with steep cliffs and almost impassible terrain. He thought deeply about the soldiers who had arrived in this area, carrying heavy equipment while trying to avoid unrelenting enemy fire.

As part of the tour, William was able to explore multiple trench systems in the Quinn’s Post sector with a Battlefield Tour guide. The students were surprised to discover some remaining remnants of conflict, including a shard of shrapnel and a tiny piece of bully beef tin. The scarred landscape was a reminder of the constant artillery barrages that tormented those involved in the campaign.

Some of the most moving aspects of the tour included visits to the Lone Pine and Ari Burnu memorials. William had previously photocopied a picture of Lieutenant George Webster Binnie and the students were able to locate the panel tribute at the Lone Pine Memorial. William felt privileged to remember a Haileybury student, who had also lived in a Castlefield neighbouring street. It was important to William to also commemorate a family member who served in World War II as a spitfire pilot.

The Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Prize study tour to Turkey has often been described a life-changing trip. William agrees and has returned with a greater understanding of the hardships endured by those at Gallipoli. He was enthralled by the artefacts discovered during the journey and is interested in pursuing a career as a Battlefield Archaeologist. It is William’s hope the courage and sacrifice of Lieutenant George Webster Binnie and others who served their country will be remembered always.

Lest We Forget