5000 Poppies

My attempt at knitting poppies

Anzac Day, 25 April, in Australia and New Zealand is a day of commemoration when we remember those from our countries who have been involved in military conflicts - particularly World War I and World War II but also other conflicts.

Next year will be the centenary of the Anzac landings at Gallipoli and many projects are planned to commemorate the centenary. One project is 5000 Poppies: a Community Tribute of Respect and Remembrance.

A post in a new blog appeared in June 2013 announcing the project:
The aim of this project is to create a field of 5000 poppies which will be displayed publicly in Melbourne on ANZAC Day 2015 as a community tribute to commemorate more than a century of service by Australian servicemen and women in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations in which Australians have been involved.

Less than a year later the project has captured the imagination of craft-minded people in Australia and the proposed target is now 20,000 poppies to be displayed in Federation Square, Melbourne, in 2015. Patterns are available for making knitted or crocheted poppies and also in felt and other fabrics. Workshops on making poppies are held from time to time in Federation Square. Throughout the country local communities have been making and displaying poppies to mark Anzac Day. As photos in the 5000 Poppies blog and on other websites show the mass display of crafted poppies make eye-catching displays. New Zealanders are also involved in the project making poppies for displays in their country.