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09 November, 2018 Community

Poppies installation: a community act of remembrance

This morning, the St Michael’s community came together to reflect and observe as our Remembrance Day poppies installation at the front of Hewison House was brought to life by students, staff and Mrs Raelene Harper.

Poppies installation: a community act of remembrance

The poppy installation is our gift of remembrance to the community, and has been created in collaboration with Mrs Harper, the daughter of a late member of the 14th 32nd Battalion – of which the School has a longstanding association with. Earlier in the year, Mrs Harper knitted poppies for St Michael’s students and staff to wear at the 2018 ANZAC March as they paraded the Battalion’s banner. It was Mrs Harper’s commitment to remembrance of her father and his fellow soldiers that inspired our community project.

The installation features hundreds of handmade poppies that have been knitted, crocheted and felted by members of the St Michael’s community. We have been overwhelmed by donations of poppies from overseas and across Australia, made with love by our students, parents, staff, Old Michaelians, and their extended family members.

This Sunday marks the centenary of the Armistice that ended WWI, and the message, act and ongoing tradition of remembrance is just as important now, one hundred years on. Let the victims of all wars be honoured, along with small and large acts of peace and kindness.

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  • poppies-installation-a-community-act-of-remembrance

Groups of Art students and student leaders used their free time to thread our handmade poppies onto netting hung at the front of Hewison House, and this morning, Mrs Harper was joined by students from Year 2 and Year 6, and Art students from Year 10, to plant a field of stemmed poppies on the front lawn.

At 11.00am, the School community was invited to pause for the Last Post and to reflect on the significance of Remembrance Day and the history of St Michael’s longstanding association with the 14th 32nd Battalion.

Thank you to all members of the community who donated poppies for the installation. We hope its location, facing Chapel Street, will prompt commuters and passers-by to reflect over the weekend.

The installation will remain in place until the close of business Monday 12 November. We encourage all members of our community to pause to view it in the coming days.

  • poppies-installation-a-community-act-of-remembrance
  • poppies-installation-a-community-act-of-remembrance

To see more of the installation, view our Facebook gallery here.