The travels of a poppy from the Nation's capital to Gallipoli
07 Dec 2015
The Weston Creek Ladies Probus Club visited the Hall Schoolhouse Museum [just out of Canberra] prior to ANZAC Day 2015 to see their special exhibition commemorating the Centenary of the Gallipoli Landing and the stories about the local boys who didn't return.
A local volunteer at the Museum, Joan had knitted beautiful large poppies for sale to raise a few funds to help keep the fascinating little Museum open. Bronwyn Halbisch, a member of the Club, was shortly leaving for a trip to Turkey and would be visiting the Gallipoli peninsula a couple of weeks after ANZAC Day. She purchased a poppy with the intention of laying it on a grave whilst there.
On arrival at ANZAC Cove, Bronwyn, wondered on who's grave she would lay the poppy as she had no personal connection with family being involved in the Landing. The grave of John Kirkpatrick Simpson of "Simpson and his donkey" fame was one of the first she saw, so a little ceremony took place. The pictures show the laying of the poppy and a close-up of his grave. Interestingly, on Bronwyn's return, a friend pointed out the date of his death on 19 May, 1915 and she had laid the poppy on 15 May 2015, almost 100 years to the day - a chilling fact!
Weston Creek Ladies Probus Club member Bronwyn Halbisch placing the knitted poppy on the grave of John Kirkpatrick Simpson at Gallipoli.
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