House debates

Monday, 22 October 2018

Statement by the Speaker

Centenary of Armistice

2:31 pm

Photo of Tony SmithTony Smith (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

As a courtesy, I want to update members on how Australian Parliament House will be commemorating the Centenary of Armistice. From tomorrow, members will begin to see poppies being installed along the pink wall on the first floor outer wall of the Great Hall, which overlooks the marble foyer. This display will be in place until February next year.

From 5 November, the installation will be progressively rolled out across the forecourt. This part of the installation will remain until 19 November. The forecourt poppies will stretch from the Great Verandah out to the parade ground, creating a strong visual link to the Australian War Memorial, and will complement the poppy display that's already in place there.

These two poppy installations are a partnership with the organisation 5000 Poppies and Phillip Johnson Landscapes. Many members may be aware of the 5000 Poppies project, which was started in 2013 by Lynn Berry and Margaret Knight, who crocheted 120 poppies to plant at the Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance on Remembrance Day in honour of the service of their fathers.

If I have further updates for members, I will of course do that between now and Remembrance Day.