Albany

After heavy rain all night the clouds finally cleared. I had a very slow start to the day as last night I bent in an awkward way to reach a cupboard and pulled a muscle in my lower back. I could hardly get into bed or roll over in bed. After a hot shower and pain relief I did improve enough to go sight seeing today. I hobbled around but managed. 

Anyhow our first stop was the National ANZAC Centre. It was also our last stop as there was so much to see (and eat). We parked and walked over to an information building and somehow ended up on an organised walking tour of the old Princess Royal Fortress and gun batteries and barracks. It was built before Federation and was a joint endeavour between the British and the Australian colonies. Albany is on a large and beautiful harbour. They decided they needed to protect intercontinental trade routes even back in those days. The original 3  gun batteries were built in the 1890s and manned by officers and troops. The guns could fire up to 5 miles. The main photo is the entry to the storage of the artillery and the gun is on the other side of the rock. It was closed in 1953.

After this we had lunch (Bob had a “not very fancy burger” from the menu). It was tasty apparently as it all disappeared. Then onto the ANZAC Centre which was opened in 2014 by our PM Abbott ( he was voted our worst PM ever - sorry I couldn’t help putting that in) and PM Keyes from NZ. It was a well presented memorial mainly focussing on the troops going to Gallipoli and WW1 France. Must have cost a bomb. I don’t mind memorials but I wish this money could have been given to the service men and women here waiting for assistance they need, now. 

When you went in you assumed the identity of a service man or woman. I had Major Alan Stitt from Canterbury Infantry Regiment ( Christchurch NZ). I followed his journey and at the end found out he was injured but survived the war, married an English lass and they had 2 children. Moved to live in Kenya. Bobs identity was a pastor and lived and returned to Queensland. It was an interesting way to learn history.

I know a few of my relatives who would love to come here and check it out.

At the beginning of WW1 they amassed troops but felt it was safer all going to Europe en masse with protection from destroyers. So they assembled the Aussie and NZ ships in the large harbour and the first and second convoys left in 1914.