western australia: perth

We raced up to Perth from Walpole, stopped in Bridgeton for lunch. Sadly we didn't have the time to stop at Donnybrook Apple Park but if you've got kids in the car you'd either better make sure you do have time to stop or they are asleep. One word. Epic!

We were in Singleton overnight in a cousin's front yard a stones throw from the beach. It was so good to catch up. P and I enjoyed our morning walk. 

And what a week in Perth. 

Initially, when we were discussing the West Coast, we'd considered bypassing Perth though we had a few mates we wanted to catch up with. 

It was great to see our friends, have dinner with them and have the kids play together. Our friends also put us up in their place in Subiaco so we spread out for the week with a house to ourselves. Funnily enough, though, we all slept within 21 foot of each other!

If you've been reading the blog you'll know that Cyril, my great great uncle, was being recognised in a sunset ceremony on the eve of ANZAC Day. It's hard to put in to words exactly what this meant for me. As I delivered a wreath to the memorial, with my cousins, I thought of Cyril's father and mother (and so many more like them) who lost sons, of his sister, my grandmothers mum, who wouldn't have remembered her older brother. I thought of Cyril's brother, Norman, who was later exempt from the war due to the loss of his brother. And I thought of my grandmother. Cyril's family would have been proud of him but they were heartbroken. 

Before the service my cousin who is dedicated to our genealogy mentioned that there is one line of the family that she's not yet been able to track down. Well out from the crowd came a couple, the descendants of Cyril's sister, whom my cousin had spoken of. And what a wonderful surprise!

We were able to meet with them later in the week AND his aunt, who, at 90, spent time with and knew many relatives. This meeting only emphasised the far reaching impact of Cyril's life and death. 

Curtin University have enlarged and enhanced the photograph taken of the 11th Battalion (after they emerged from a church service) in Cheops, Egypt and it takes up a huge wall of the gallery. It's impossible restive and worth making a trip to. The exhibition is on until late 2015 and the soldiers are almost life sized. 

Our Cyril is #587. 

Many of my West Australian relatives are buried at Karrakatta Cemetery in Perth so we took the time to pay our respects. 

This is the grave of Cyril's sister (my grandmothers mum) and their parents. 

Our time in Perth, being with family, was especially significant. It was important for me to touch base with them and listen to their stories. 

south australia: napperby

For as long as I can remember my family 

spoke of my grandmother's uncle, Cyril, who enlisted at the outbreak of World War One and was killed on ANZAC Day at Gallipoli at the age of 22. My grandmother's mother, his sister, was only one and a half years old when he died. 

This photograph of Cyril atop a camel in Egypt was displayed in my grandmother's home. (It turns out that copies were sent home and distributed to each of Cyril's siblings from Cyril himself in Christmas 1914).  

Leading up to the centenary of the Gallipoli landings a group of West Australians made it their mission to identify each of the West Australian soldiers who died at Gallipoli. They have also identified many of the men of the 11th Battalion who were photographed at the pyramid in Cheops. Cyril is #587. 

Articles have been published in the newspapers and, as a result, more family has come out of the woodwork. Who would have thought that, one hundred years on my great, great uncle's death could bring the family's branches all together? It's been particularly overwhelming for my cousin, who now lives in Switzerland, as she has recorded  so much of our family history & genealogy. 

This photo surfaced in an old album and the people have been identified as the grandparents of Cyril at the Napperby Store. My cousin flicked this photo to me so that I might be able to visit the town. As it happened Napperby was a short detour for us - not far inland from Port Pirie. 

It only took a few minutes to drive through the streets of small town of Napperby. We found a playground and set about getting lunch together when a local, Bob, pulled up asking if we needed help. 

I showed Bob the photo and, intrigued as he was, he stayed a while and we discussed the history of Napperby and its townsfolk. Obviously we didn't expect the Napperby Store to exist nowadays but Bob suggested some of the older folk in town might recognise others in the photographs - and may well have photos of my family too. 

Bob is now on a mission! And it's pretty exciting for us!!