ANZAC Cottage: The Christmas Truce - EVENT CANCELLED

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Sun 06 Dec 2015

UPDATE: 'This event has been cancelled, due to renovations to ANZAC cottage for their Centenary still in progress'


The last Open Day for 2015 at ANZAC Cottage on Sunday, December 6 will focus on Christmas, with a special screening of the legendary 'Christmas Truce' that took place one hundred and one years ago during World War I.

Experience this remarkable story in an actual memorial to the Great War. The documentary starts at 2:30pm. Enjoy a piece of Christmas cake with afternoon tea for a gold coin donation.

Only five months into the war in Europe, one of the last examples of the concept of chivalry between enemies took place. Singing songs and carols while exchanging cigarettes, plum puddings and some using the time to retrieve bodies of fellow soldiers lying in No Man's Land.

This action, never repeated as the harsh realities of modern warfare engulfed the world. Nevertheless, it did show that even a world war could not destroy the Christmas Spirit. The film will give insights to this remarkable truce between enemies, but sadly no peace until four years and millions of lives later.

Christmas Spirit in No Man's Land


%%WWI began in August 1914, and by December, all thoughts of quick victory had faded. Fighting was most fierce in a thin strip of land called the Western Front.

A system of trenches separated Allies from Germans, with the area in between known as No Man's Land.

Amidst the trench warfare that defined World War I, a few days of spontaneous peace broke out. On Christmas Eve, an astonishing event began, up and down the Western Front, Allied and German soldiers met peacefully in No Man's Land.

Without a signed treaty, surrender, or armistice, German and Allied soldiers alike were able to share Christmas cheer together. Actor Ioan Gruffud narrates a feature-length look at the fabled Christmas truce, filled with eyewitness accounts.%%

The ANZAC Spirit in action

There are many impressive monuments, but memorials built, maintained and used by local communities enshrine that personal commitment in keeping the ANZAC spirit alive. The carefully maintained War Memorials in our suburbs, towns and local communities, well attended on ANZAC Day are living proof. Living Memorials such as ANZAC Cottage keep the events and sacrifices of the Great War alive and relevant.


ANZAC Cottage, at No.38 Kalgoorlie Street in Mount Hawthorn, has a unique history; constructed as a practical monument to commemorate the Anzac's participation in the First World War, the first memorial to the Great War built in Australia. Open to the public on the first Sunday of each month from 1.00pm to 4.00pm, offering free entry and afternoon tea for a gold coin donation. All are welcome to attend and learn more about its unique history.

Friends of ANZAC Cottage has been set up to retain the connection of the cottage to the Mount Hawthorn and the broader community. If you wish to know more about this event (and group bookings throughout the year) or would like further information about ANZAC Cottage, check out their Facebook page or call Anne on 0411 44 55 82.

This is the last ANZAC Cottage open day for 2015. Look out for many unusual and interesting topics coming in 2016. ANZAC Cottage thanks all those who have supported the open days, events and talks throughout this year.

All photographs courtesy of Friends of ANZAC Cottage unless otherwise noted
UPDATE: 'This event has been cancelled, due to renovations to ANZAC cottage for their Centenary still in progress'

#western_suburbs
#western_australia
#perth_city
#near_perth
#museums
#mount_hawthorn
#memorials
#learn_something
#historic_houses
#greater_perth
#christmas
#anzac_day
#december
!date 06/12/2015 -- 06/12/2015
%wnperth