We will remember them

Ataturk memorial, Wellington

I went to the Ataturk Memorial recently.  It wasn’t in Salonica where Ataturk was born.   It wasn’t at Ankara which Ataturk created as Turkey’s capital in place of Istanbul.  It wasn’t on the cliffs of Gallipoli where Ataturk led the Turkish forces to victory against the Allies in the First World War.  The memorial I visited is high on the southern peninsula of Wellington harbour, far away from Turkey in a country Ataturk never visited.

New Zealand and Australian forces landing at Gallipoli

The wording on the memorial, written by Ataturk in 1934, is the same as on the memorial at Anzac Cove.

Those heroes who shed their blood and lost their lives, you are now lying in the soil of a  friendly country.  Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side in this country of ours. You, the mothers who sent their sons from far away countries wipe away your tears, your sons are now lying in our  bosoms and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they become our sons as well.

I’ve never been to Gallipoli but understand the location for the memorial was chosen because the beaches of the peninsular are similar.  Gallipoli is a place I’d like to visit one day but not with hordes of other New Zealanders and Australians there to celebrate ANZAC day.  I’d like to be there at a quieter time so I could think, imagine and try to comprehend what it must have been like to have fought in that pointless campaign.  What was it like to be sent so many thousands of miles away to somewhere so completely foreign?  How do you cope with constant rain, mud, rats, disillusionment, despair and fear?  How do you feel when you see your friends diseased, wounded or dying?

For most New Zealanders Gallipoli is the campaign most closely associated with New Zealand’s role in the First World War and for many years we’ve been told it was here the forging of our national identity began.   Perhaps it was, but we shouldn’t forget New Zealanders also fought on the Western Front, where 12,500 of them died.   Two thousand died on the Somme alone, only 700 less than at Gallopoli, and in total New Zealand lost around 16,000 men in the First World War.

The day I visited the Ataturk Memorial was bright and clear.  The sea looked clean and blue and the coastline rugged, much as I imagine Anzac Cove.  I stood and read the words Ataturk had written, looked out around me and I did remember them.

For the term of his natural life : the penal colony of Norfolk Island

Recently my daughter, Laura,  and I had a few days break in two very different parts of Australia, Sydney and Norfolk Island.  I’d been keen to visit Norfolk Island for a while but didn’t fancy a week there, which is the only alternative from New Zealand,  so decided to have a few days in Sydney first and fly to Norfolk from there which meant we just had three days on the island  – perfect.

Laura at the ruins of the penal colony, Kingston

 

Sydney and Norfolk have strong links as they were both established as penal colonies in the early days of Australia’s time as Britain’s far-flung jailhouse.  Although Norfolk was discovered by Captain Cook he didn’t land there, and the first Europeans  on the island were the convicts and militia sent to guard them on their island prison.  It seemed appropriate to visit Norfolk Island after a few days in Sydney, Australia’s first penal colony.

Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney

We’ve always enjoyed Sydney so had a few days shopping and revisiting some of the sights.  The Hyde Park Barracks have been transformed into an excellent museum and provide a good overview of what convict life was like.  The once notorious slum area, the Rocks, is now full of lovely shops and restaurants but at the Rocks Discovery Museum you can still see what the area was like during Sydney’s early colonisation.  After three very full days in Sydney we caught the two and a half hour flight to Norfolk Island.

Norfolk Island beach

Norfolk Island had two spells as a British penal colony in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.  The British Government then decided to abandon it for this purpose and in 1856  Queen Victoria gave it to the Pitcairn Islanders, who were in need of somewhere larger to live.  Only 8kms by 5kms the island is one of Australia’s self-governing territories.  During Norfolk’s second penal settlement (1825 – 1856)  it was used as a punishment destination for the most hardened of criminals and conditions on Norfolk were extremely harsh.  The treatment meted out belies the beauty of the island which is lush and green with massive Norfolk pine trees everywhere.

Penal colony ruins, Kingston

The UNESCO heritage site of Kingston has many solid reminders of the second penal settlement and was built on the location of the first, which had been burnt down when the British left in 1814.   There were very few tourists about so it was easy to get an appreciation of how isolated it must have felt by those who first came here as we wandered around the stone buildings and then continued on down to the wharf.

Graveyard, Kingston

The graveyard, which is still in use today, contains the graves of some of those who died here during the two penal settlements and also those of the Pitcairn Islanders and their descendants.  Although a few Islanders returned to Pitcairn in 1859 and 1861 most remained on Norfolk and the graveyard is full of Christians, Quintalls, Nobbs, Buffets and others.

St Barnabas Chapel, Norfolk Island

In addition to these two fascinating historical threads Norfolk Island was also home to the Melanesian Mission, which was established in 1866.  The beautiful St Barnabas Chapel was built in 1875 as a memorial to Bishop Patterson who was killed in the Solomon Islands.  On Sunday morning I attended a service there and although the congregation was very small the singing was vigorous.

The history of Norfolk Island is fascinating and it’s easy to get around as rental cars are cheap and there’s very little traffic on the roads.  For us three days was just the right amount of time as we managed to see everything, including all the historical locations, and get a good feel for the island itself.  It seemed to be a destination for retired tourists so we did our own thing and didn’t bother with any of the tours.  A nice little slice of the British Empire in the South Pacific.