Poppy project honours lost souls for 100th anniversary of Gallipoli landing

MORE than 30 light poles along one Southeast Queensland street have been painted with poppies to mark this year’s Anzac Day commemorations.

QST_ALN_POPPYS

THIS year’s Greenbank RSL Anzac Day march will be even more special as veterans make their way past more than 30 light poles painted with poppies along Anzac Ave.

Logan City Councillor Laurie Smith (Div 7) said every year he allocated divisional funds to paint 400 light poles across his division and that this year he wanted to commemorate Anzac Day in a special way.

He said it had taken two weeks to paint the poles with poppies, which had long been a symbol of Anzac Day and Remembrance Day.

Cr Smith said red poppies were among the first plants to spring up in the devastated battlefields of northern France and Belgium.

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He said this year’s Anzac Day would be even more significant as he planned to travel to Gallipoli, a 20-year dream, to attend the dawn service on the 100th anniversary of the Anzac landing at Gallipoli.

“I will be laying a wreath on behalf of the people of Logan at Lone Pine and another wreath on behalf of the Greenbank RSL sub-branch.”

Cr Smith said he had heard stories about the aura of Gallipoli at dawn on the peninsula and looked forward to being a part of such an important day.

He said he would also tour the battlefields.

To commemorate 100 years since the Anzac landing at Gallipoli, and recognise the sacrifices of those men and women who have served out country since WWI, Quest Community Newspapers will publish one story each day online in the lead-up to Anzac Day. THIS story is part of Quest Community Newspapers’ 100 Years, 100 Days, 100 Stories project, which will profile Queensland WWI heroes and families as the nation builds up to the centenary of the Allied landing on Gallipoli on April 25, 1915.

Originally published as Poppy project honours lost souls for 100th anniversary of Gallipoli landing