The ceremony commenced under a cloudy sky with the threat of rain ever-present.
Student leaders first acknowledged country and honoured the significant role played by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander soldiers in the Australian Armed Forces.
After learning the history and the significance of Anzac Day, students peppered the education courtyard lawn with red paper poppies as a symbol of remembrance for those who have lost their lives in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations. During World War I, red poppies were among the first plants to grow on the Western Front in Europe. They bloomed across the wasted battlefields of northern France and Belgium.
Purple poppies were also created by some students as a way of remembering the animals that served and died in conflict. Sadly, more than 8 million horses and donkeys perished in World War I alone.
The Last Post (historically played in army camps to announce the end of the day, a time when soldiers should be resting) was then played and a minute’s silence observed.
