Centenary celebrations taking shape

A Royal Australian Navy sunset ceremony, a pyrotechnics show in the harbour and a community concert are all proposed as part of Albany’s Anzac centenary commemoration events in 2014.

Next year Albany commemorates 100 years since the first convoy of troops left King George Sound for World War I.

The Albany Convoy Commemorative Event Steering Committee is considering a plan that sets out ceremonial events aimed to be the “curtain raiser” of Australia’s centenary commemorations, including a service, troop march, ship open day and the official opening of the Anzac Interpretive Centre.

However, it is anticipated that three to six naval ships from Australia and New Zealand will visit Albany to represent the first convoy of 36 ships that left in World War I, with one New Zealand ship confirmed.

City of Albany Mayor Dennis Wellington said this number was a realistic expectation.

“In terms of actual warships there was only three or four in the first instance because the rest were just merchant ships,” he said.

“The problem is the huge economic cost of getting the ships here; we just have to accept what they have in mind for that.”

Mr Wellington said it was important to have a successful Anzac event.

“It will be enormous, it will be the focal point for anyone interested in the history of the Anzac,” he said.

“We’ve got a lot of people coming a long way, there’s got to be things for them to participate in, military marches and festivals, all that sort of thing.”

Federal Member for O’Connor Rick Wilson said while he had not yet been briefed on the events since his election, the occasion was a great opportunity for Albany.

“We need to be working as hard as we can to make every opportunity count,” he said. “I’ve always been concerned that the original scale of 30 ships might be unattainable, but to scale it down to three to six I thought was unacceptable.”

The steering committee, which includes representatives from the City of Albany, RSL, State Government and the Australian Defence Force, will help the Department of Veterans’ Affairs plan and deliver the events.

It is proposed navy ships will arrive in King George Sound on October 31 and the Royal Australian Navy will hold a sunset ceremony in Anzac Peace Park.

On November 1 — the centenary — a troop march along Stirling Terrace and York Street is planned, with a service at Anzac Peace Park, the opening of the interpretive centre and a ship open day.

A contingency plan is also proposed if the Anzac Interpretive Centre is not built in time, where guests will have lunch at another location.

Meanwhile, the Great Southern Anzac Centenary Events Committee is considering a swag of public events including a harbour lights show on the eve of the centenary, with lights and pyrotechnics set to a musical score.

A commemorative concert for 10,000 to 20,000 people is also proposed, featuring the WA Symphony Orchestra and other high profile performers.

Other ideas include storytelling installations around town, a children’s commemoration event, hosting a major sporting event such as a WAFL match and the closure of part of York Street to host an open air restaurant and market stalls.

Mr Wellington said a forum to let the Albany community know full details of events would be held at the end of the month.