Cee-BW-Challenge-Landscapes

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Cee’s

Black and White Challenge.

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Geelong sunset.

Beachscape

A landscape or the result of landscaping?

Many South West Victorian farms have

changed their landscape from one

which grazed sheep and cattle to one

which grows trees and is far less intensive.

A little over 100 years ago this idyllic

French landscape would have appeared

anything but idyllic as Villers Bretonneux

was in the middle of some of the

heaviest fighting of World War I.

As the sun goes down…

…near Geelong.

Yearling Herefords

Spring sown canola crop on its way to maturity.

Canola in flower

 

Saint Kilda Pier

 

Moorabool Valley eucalypts.

In the distance are

The Grampians.

The southern end of

The Great Dividing Range.

Moorabool Valley

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Cees-BW-Photo-Challenge: Landscapes

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Tuesday-PC-Wk137_”Challenge”

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I’m late with my post this week because I did find it a challenge.Climbing the tower at the Australian Memorial

at Villers Bretonneux.   

After spending most of the day walking in heavy denim jeans

and sneakers in unseasonal mid twenties temperatures…

the last thing I felt like doing was climbing a staircase.

I thought maybe the arch would do…

However having attained that height…

the next level was my goal.

Imagine my horror upon reaching this level

only to find there were

still more steps to the summit.

I will admitted only twenty-three but the view was worth it.

I just cannot imagine that War has raged around this

tranquil farmland setting not once but twice.

Did you notice the bullet holes in the tower

from World War II aircraft.

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Tuesday Photo Challenge: Challenge

ANZAC-Day-2018

 

Today, ANZAC Day 2018 the

Prime Minister of Australia…

Mr. Malcolm Turnbull…

is visiting the co-located

Australian National Memorial

and the

Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery

located just outside of Villers-Brettonneux

on The Somme Battlefields of France,

to open the Sir John Monash Centre.

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The Sir John Monash Centre was…

 

 

under construction when

I visited early in June, 2017…

and is situated behind the Central Tower…

 

from which the views are stunning. 

 

It was extremely difficult to imagine

all the lives lost…

 

and bloodshed in

this idyllic farming land.

 

 There are wing walls flanking the central tower…

 

upon which are engraved the names of

10,732 Australian casualties who died in France…

and who have no known grave.

 

Used as an observation post by

the French in World War II…

 

the Memorial was extensively damaged by

German aircraft and ground fire.  

During the repair process it was decided to

retain some of the scarring.

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Lest We Forget

 

 

Wordless Wednesday17_0124

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Some images of…the Australian War Memorial at…

Villers–Bretonneux.

 

Behind the centre tower the Sir John Monash Centre…

was being constructed and may nearly be open now.

 

So peaceful and yet soaked with so much blood.

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Hope you enjoyed.

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Wordless Wednesday (create-with-joy.com)

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