Albany Anzac Dawn Service named a 175th heritage icon

22/4/04
An important tradition - the Albany Anzac Dawn Service - has been named a Western Australian Heritage Icon as part of the 175th Anniversary celebrations.
Acting Premier Eric Ripper said it was a great honour to announce the Albany Anzac Dawn Service as the fourth icon - in recognition of its special social and historical significance to WA. The listing had been recommended by the National Trust, which has overseen the public nomination process.
"Albany will always have a special place in Anzac history and the birth of the dawn service tradition," Mr Ripper said.

"As is well known, it was from Albany on November 1, 1914, that the first Anzac convoy set sail for war - with 30,000 troops and 7,500 horses aboard 38 ships.
"For many of these troops, as the ships sailed out from King George Sound, it was the last glimpse of Australia they ever saw.
"It is fitting, then, that many Western Australians have given the Albany Anzac Dawn Service a special place in their hearts."
The Acting Premier said many Western Australians might not be aware of the significant historical link Albany had to the Anzac Dawn Service tradition.
"While there is some conjecture regarding the first observance of the dawn ceremony in Australia, an Anglican clergyman, Reverend Arthur Ernest White, is believed to have held the first religious dawn service in Albany," he said.
Reverend White was assigned as one of the padres of the ANZACs to leave Australia as part of the 44th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force.
While previous reports claimed White held the dawn service as early as 1923 in Albany, local historian Joan Bartlett points to a more accurate date of April 25 in 1930.
At the 1930 service, some parishioners accompanied Rev White to lay a wreath at the local memorial and followed him up Mt Clarence, to watch a wreath float out into King George Sound.
He was believed to have said at the time: 'As the sun riseth and goeth down, we will remember them'. Following the service, he wrote in the church's register, 'First Dawn Service held in Australia'.
Mr Ripper said the icon listing of the Albany Anzac Dawn Service followed a range of other State Government initiatives aimed at promoting community pride and respect of WA's military heritage.
"These include a new Adopt-a-Memorial scheme, encouraging youth groups to care for local war memorials or honour rolls and a new grants scheme to help community organisations to restore local war memorials," he said.
"The State Government has also announced plans to spend $445,000 to restore the water damaged State War Memorial in Kings Park.
"All these initiatives are aimed at ensuring that the observance of ANZAC Day remains strong and is carried on by future generations."
Icons to date:
January - Swan River
February - Fremantle Harbour
March - Kings Park.
Acting Premier's office: 9222 8788