Summary

Handwritten description by Kathleen Cox of her family's commemoration of the Anzac Day Dawn Service as part of their participation in the #lightupthedawn for Anzac Day, at their home in Belmont, Geelong on 25 April 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown. Kathleen describes how they all woke up early, sat on camping chairs in their front yard around the fire her father had built, near the candle lanterns made by her mother Alison for the occasion.

Physical Description

Three pages of handwritten notes in black ink, on yellow lined paper.

Significance

Statement of Historical Significance:
This collection provides an insight into how families and communities embraced the Dawn Service at Home call-out to recognise Anzac Day on 25 April 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown in Australia. Anzac Day 2020 will never be forgotten. For the first time since the first Anzac Day commemoration in 1916, people could not gather together. Instead, they stood in home driveways, held candles and poppies, displayed their own family photographs, remembering and reflecting privately on the lives lost and the tragedy of war.

The candle lanterns are an example of domestic creativity and innovation, using disposable objects (plastic milk cartons) decorated with poppies and military motifs to create lanterns. The family (mum, dad and three children) all participated in their own backyard commemoration at dawn, lighting a fire around which to gather and light the candles. Photographs were taken by family member documenting the event which took place in suburban Geelong and one of the children wrote a description of the event. This collection thus encompasses the experiences, perceptions and voices of children, represents regional Victoria in its georgraphic location, demonstrates how families collectively act to participate in national events, domestic creativity, and a direct connection to the Australian Defence force is also present, with the father an active member.

More Information