Students help the community commemorate ANZAC Day

In what’s quickly becoming an annual tradition, the students support the local community by making wreaths featuring laurels and poppies with Lest We Forget ribbons to donate.

The finished wreaths were then donated to schools, charities and Returned and Services League (RSL) organisations to be laid on memorials to remember those Australian and New Zealand soldiers who lost their lives serving in wars, conflicts and conflicts and peacekeeping operations.

“The students enjoyed using their skills to create such an essential item to commemorate fallen military service people on one of the most important dates in our calendar,” said Lyn Philip, Floristry Teacher.

Made with Laurel, rosemary and poppies, the ANZAC wreaths are shaped like a teardrop which signifies the tears we shed in grief.

“The Laurel Wreath symbolises immortality, with the tree and leaves representing glory and victory, while Rosemary symbolises remembrance. The Lest We Forget ribbon is placed at 10 and 4 to represent the rise and setting of the sun,” explained Lyn.

“During the First World War, red poppies were seen to be among the first living plants that sprouted from the devastation of the battlefields of northern France and Belgium. They have been a part of ANZAC Day since commemorations began and powerfully symbolise the sacrifice of army, navy and air force personnel.”

“We’re lucky for the lives we live, so it’s essential to remember those ANZAC soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice at the dawn ceremonies every April 25^th across Australia and New Zealand,” said Lyn.

Floristry student Janelle Heise, a 30-year veteran of the Royal Australian Air Force, was humbled to use her floristry skills to make a wreath to commemorate this year’s ANZAC Day.

“You always see wreaths at this time of year but don’t realise how much work they are. It’s nice to make one that’s befitting of such an important occasion to commemorate our past and present service personnel,” she said.

Fellow student Caitlin Martin grew up in a military family and enjoyed making her wreath to donate to her son’s daycare for their ANZAC day commemorations.

“My family arrived in Australia with the first fleet, and every generation since then has been connected to the military, so the day carries extra significance for me,” said Caitlin.

“By giving my wreath to my son’s daycare, he’s learning about his family’s legacy and passing down the tradition of honouring and remembering our family members and service personnel. It’s important we all learn about the day’s history to ensure tragedies like Gallipoli never happen again.”