.jpg) Māmā Mihirangi and the Māreikura
Sounds weaving like a dream… Māmā Mihirangi’s vocals and electronic loops waft through the huge Crossroads tent at the Byron Bay Bluesfest 2019, seamlessly blending ancient Māori culture into modern performance art. There is nothing quite like a Māori haka to get your festival day started!
(Double click for: Māmā Mihirangi & The Māreikura – E-Te-Ariki)
The music clip attached is a prayer: E te Ariki – “Lord”, but the Aotearoa (NZ) Māori artists and activists Māmā Mihirangi & The Māreikura had started the set – first up on the last day of the five-day Easter-long-weekend Byron Bay Bluesfest – together in a haka for the female descendants of the Mother Goddess. It got my blood pumping and cheered me up enormously!
I love that Bluesfest Byron Bay includes First Nations music in its program in two ways: firstly, by defining “blues and roots” music broadly enough to include a smattering of traditional music from around the world; and secondly, by concurrently hosting the three-day Boomerang Festival.
The Boomerang Festival is billed as a “global indigenous arts & culture event aimed at Aboriginal access for audiences wishing to engage with a quality, unique, true Indigenous experience.” First launched in 2013, it includes music, dance, crafts, story-telling, visual arts, and healing.
As a Bluesfest participant, I have access to as many of the Boomerang activities as I can fit into my broader festival experience: I always sample some of the music and dance (eg: Boomerang 2016; Back to the Roots; Australian Guitars and Strings; Blues Women Rock; Songs of Joy and Protest).
This year was no different: I revisited some old favourites and found a few new ones.
Do join me!
.jpg) Boomerang Flags
Around the sandy dance-circle and high over the tent-tops, Indigenous flags fly in honour of the Boomerang Festival of Indigenous arts and culture. .jpg) Tibetan Singer behind Barbed Wire
It seems symbolic somehow, to see displaced Tibetan musician, Tenzin Choegyal, looking small as he sits singing and story-telling in the sand-circle.  Rako Pasefika
I have enjoyed these wonderful performers before (see: Boomerang 2016). Originally from Rotuma, a volcanic Fijian island, the group was formed to safeguard and share cultural practices. Rako on Percussion
As artisans of the Pacific, they also practice and teach traditional skills including bark cloth (Tapa/ Masi) printing, making coconut sinnet (Magi magi) and weaving. These aptitudes are reflected in their instruments and costuming. Rako Pasefika Dancer
On Saturday afternoon the weather changed, … Dancing in the Rain
… but the onset of rain couldn’t dampen that smile … Conquest
… or diminish the power of the dance. Hips Swinging
Rotuma is at the crossroads of the Micronesian, Melanesian, and Polynesian cultures, and the influence can be heard in the musical rhythms and seen in the dance and costume styles. The Queen of Cool
Billed as the “Queen of Loops”, Māmā Mihirangi produces contemporary Māori music, blending ancient chants and traditional harmonies with modern instruments and stories. A Māreikura
The Māreikura are Māmā Mihirangi’s traditional female dancers … Traditional Weaponry
… who performed the haka I mentioned in my introduction, and demonstrated symbolic uses of traditional weapons. Poi Dance
Poi dancing is a longstanding Maori tradition. Poi and the Māreikura
Wahine (female) dancers perform with the poi to improve their flexibility, strength and coordination, … Ferocious Feminine Power
… but it is not hard to imagine poi being used as weapons! Māmā Mihirangi
The whole performance (which, as you can tell by the changes of costumes, I attended twice) was delightfully engaging. Malu Kiai Mura Buai – Shark Bait
Meanwhile, back at the sand circle, a dance troupe performs a story about shark bait. Malu Kiai Mura Buai – Shark Bait
Originally from Boigu Island in the Torres Strait, this traditional dance group is based in Brisbane. I love watching the little ones shadowing their elders, … “Baby Shark”
… but all I could think of was the annoyingly-repetitive children’s song “Baby Shark – doo doo doo doo doo doo.” Girls of the Malu Kiai Mura Buai
Two days later when I was at the sand circle, the young women were preparing to perform … Welcome Flower
… their welcome song and dance. Welcome Dance Malu Kiai Mura Buai Warrior
After the Welcome Dance, the men return to wave their spears … Warrior Spirit
… and show off their warrior spirit. Dobby
Only 24, rapper, drummer and workshop facilitator, Dobby, is a recent recipient of the prestigious Peter Sculthorpe Fellowship for composition. Identifying as Filipino and Aboriginal, Dobby is an accomplished musician, with a delightfully enjoyable stage presence which carries his clever lyrics and powerful messages. Tenzin Choegyal
Outside in the sand circle, Tenzin Choegyal – a regular Boomerang participant – sings his original songs expressing pain over the loss of his Tibetan homeland and cultural heritage. One of his songs, a prayer based on the 8th Century classic text: The Tibetan Book of the Dead, is attached below. (Click for Safe Passage from the album Heart Strings by Tenzin Choegyal)
Tenzin Choegyal
The audience was silent and self-reflective as they listened with rapt attention. Benny Walker
Another Boomerang-return favourite, Benny Walker, a Yorta Yorta man from regional Victoria, is easy on the ears and eyes. “Dad Jokes” and Beautiful Songs
I returned for another set the next day; I just love listening to his rich voice and slow, bluesy rhythms. “Stay in my Arms” deserves to be a love classic. Mojo Jujo
Award-winning Mojo Juju Ruiz de Luzuriaga’s most recent R’n’B/hip-hop/soul album tells stories of her Filipino–Wiradjuri family heritage. Drummer Steve “T-Bone” Ruiz de Luzuriaga
Drummers don’t feature in many photos because they often hide behind their kit out of the lights at the back, which was why I was so pleased to find Mojo Juju’s brother lit in such an interesting manner … Mojo Juju
… when I caught a second set on the last day of Bluesfest. The Mission Songs Project
Jessie Lloyd, with her Mission Songs Project, was a fitting end to my experience of this year’s Boomerang Festival: in the 1900s, Aboriginal people were taken out of their traditional communities and relocated into church-run “Mission” settlements and state-run native camps. Deline Briscoe, Jessie Lloyd, and Emma Donovan
Jessie has spent over two years traveling, researching, and collecting the songs that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in these settlements, reserves, and native camps, sang about their daily lives. With some of Australia’s finest musicians, she has been singing these songs around the country in what are extremely moving performances.
And that is the beauty of music, isn’t it?
It builds bridges across time and culture, and helps bring “the other” closer to “us”.
And, it makes us feel.
To the music!
Posted in environmental portraits,Indigenous,Music,PerformanceTags: Australia,Boomerang,environmental portrait,environmental portraits,indigenous,l Ursula Wall,music,musicians,people,performance,performers,Photo Blog,portrait,travel,Travel Blog,Ursula Wall
Prayers
Ethiopia is one of the oldest Christian states in the world. The Entoto Maryam Church is probably the oldest building in use in the vicinity of Addis Ababa; it was full of active worshippers when I visited. “And King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all that she desired, whatever she asked besides what was given her by the bounty of King Solomon. So she turned and went back to her own land with her servants.”
– 1 Kings 10:13
Ethiopia – and its capital Addis Ababa – is the quintessential paradox.
According to an Ethiopian account from the 14th century, the visit of Makada, Queen of Sheba to King Solomon of the House of David, some time in the 10th century BC, resulted in a son – who grew up to become Menelik I, founder of the dynasty – at first Jewish, then later Christian – that reigned over the Empire of Ethiopia for most of the years from around 950 BC through to the overthrow of Haile Selassie in 1974. More than that, it is claimed that when Menelik visited Jerusalem as a young adult, King Solomon gave him a replica of the Ark of the Covenant; somehow, this was switched with the original – which is reputedly still in Axum, Northern Ethiopia.
Scholars may argue some – or all – of the details of this legacy, and the Ethiopian government and church may refuse all requests to see the alleged ark, but the story has had important and lasting effects on Ethiopian culture and psyche. There was no room for doubt in the mind of the young man who introduced me to the many precious early Christian artefacts in the small museum in the grounds of St George Cathedral in Addis Ababa.
On the other hand, my guide was quite skeptical about the origins of the remains of Lucy, the original Australopithecus afarensis, found in Ethiopia’s Afar Triangle in the Great Rift Valley in 1974. I’m old enough to remember when the results of that momentous find were publicised. I also remember watching the Leakey’s earlier explorations of the neighbouring regions (Dr Leakey and the Dawn of Man, 1966), and reading African Genesis (1961) by Robert Ardrey. So, I was very excited to visit the National Museum of Ethiopia in Addis Ababa, where a replica of Lucy – thought to be our 3.2 million year-old Hominini ancestor – is on display.
Ethiopia is home to over 80 different ethnic groups and about 90 individual languages; almost 2 million people practice traditional faiths – making it even harder to reconcile the differing “stories” of humanity. But, the country was the second to officially adopt Christianity (after Armenia) – as early as 324 CE. Today, while the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (a branch of Oriental Orthodoxy) is no longer distinguished as a state religion, it remains the major influence.
The number of Ethiopian Orthodox churches that dot the city – and are included in a city tour – are testament to this.
The heritage of – and reverence towards – Emperor Haile Selassie (1892-1975 – reigned: 1930-1974) is another conundrum. Also known as Ras Tafari Makonnen, he established Ethiopia’s constitution, implemented the legal basis for the abolition of slavery in Africa, and led Ethiopia to become a charter member of the United Nations. Revered as the returned messiah by the Rastafari religion originating in Jamaica in the 1930s, he enjoyed prestige and respect among world leaders – while also being condemned for poor human rights – until he was deposed and imprisoned in 1975.
A visit to a former palace, which Haile Selassie gave to University College of Addis Ababa in 1961, and which now houses the Ethnographic Museum, is also included in the city tour that I had organised for myself.
I was in the country for a photo-tour of the Omo Valley that was meeting up in the evening: the only sensible flight I could organise had me arriving at the airport before seven am. That gave me too much “down-time” to waste, but not enough to acclimatise properly, so I booked a day trip around the city, rather than trying to explore on my own.
This provided a small sampler of what the city has to offer.
Entrance to Entoto Maryam Church
The charming octagonal Maryam (St Mary) Church was built around 1882 by Menelik II while he was Negus of Shewa. It sits at 3200 meters above sea level, on the peak of Mt Entoto, just outside Addis Ababa. Robes and Crowns
The yard in front of the church entrance was full of people, some in robes and crowns, … Turbans and Robes
… others in robes and turbans. Turbans and Maqwamiya
The prayer staffs (maqwamiya) that these men carry are symbolic of Christ’s body, as it came down from Heaven, and as it was lifted up in resurrection. They can be tucked under the arm as a support (as He supported people on earth), and are banged on the ground to maintain chant- and song-rhythms. Prayers and Songs
It was a Sunday, so I was not surprised to see so much activity – but I was told this was part of a wedding celebration. I was very generously invited into the centre of the action … Photographer
… even though a local photographer was clearly on the job. Young Boy
Everyone was wearing their Sunday best. I love the colourful embroidery on the young lad’s collar: typical of Ethiopian fabric ornamentation. Senasel – Sistrum
Like the maqwamiya (prayer staffs), the senasel (sistrum) are as symbolic as they are rhythmic. The front and back represent Jacob’s ladder and the angels, the sides are the old and the new testaments, and iron pieces inside symbolise the five pillars of the church. Priest Chanting
The chants and prayers are performed in Geʽez – a South Semitic language dating back to between 4 and 10 CE – rather than in Amharic, which is the main language spoken in the country. Musicians
Of course, a drum is not just a drum: a large kebero or hand drum, is used for the liturgical music. The drum is the body of Jesus, with the narrow end representing His human nature, and the wider end being His divine nature. Smaller kebero drums are used in secular celebrations. Addis Ababa from Mount Entoto
Sitting at an altitude of 2,355 m (7,726 ft), Addis is the fourth-highest capital city in the world. From here on Mount Entoto (3200 m), we can look down over the city. It is mid-October: the rains are finished and the humidity is low; dust and pollution hang in the air, obscuring the skyline. St. Mary’s Church
I spotted this lovely entry-arch on our way up the hill, and persuaded my guide to stop on the way back down. The blue dome is typical of Coptic Orthodox buildings. Congregation outside St. Mary’s Church
Obscured by the darkness under the arches, the priest delivered a Sunday sermon to his gathered flock. Local Textile Market
Further down the hill we stop at a local market … Mannequin
… to admire the finely woven cottons decorating the well-worn mannequins. Haile Selassie Finery
Selassie gave his Guenete Leul Palace to the local university; some of the rooms have been preserved in honour of him – while others are now the Ethiopian Ethnological Museum. Ethiopian Coffee and the Herb Rue
The next stop was at a street-side coffee shop, where we sat on rickety stools enjoying rich, dark coffee with rue (Ruta graveolens). Lugging Loads
After a visit to Lucy in the National Museum of Ethiopia, and a lunch of injera – the local staple: a spongy pancake-like bread made from teff, a native grain, and filled with meat and/or vegetables and spicy sauces, I persuaded my guide to take me to a local vegetable market. Man in the Potatoes
He was quite surprised when many of the local vegetable-sellers were happy to have their pictures made. Loads in the Road Veggie Sellers
It was dark inside the sheds, but the people were friendly – regarding me with curiosity. St George Cathedral
My last stop was at St George Cathedral, one of the oldest cathedrals in Addis Ababa. It was commissioned by Emperor Menelik II following his 1896 victory over the Italians in Adwa, and finished in 1911. St George
Emperor Menelik II dedicated the church to St George, Ethiopia’s patron saint. Coptic Cross
According to local lore, St George was an Ethiopian, born in Palestina: at that time a country ruled by the Moors. St George Cathedral from Outside
I was lucky enough to be able to look through the museum on the St George Cathedral grounds. No photos are allowed in the small building crammed full of precious religious iconography, but my guide was in his element – and determined to explained every artefact in great detail. Before long my head was spinning! I blamed it on jet-lag, and called it a day.
 I still can’t come to grips with the legends, the beliefs, and the complex history of the Ethiopians.
But, they sure make great coffee!
Happy Travels.
Photos: 14October2018
Posted in Africa,Christianity,Ethiopia,History,TravelTags: architecture,Coptic Orthodox,environmental portrait,Orthodox,Photo Blog,religion,Religious Practice,travel,Travel Blog,Ursula Wall
The Brusio Spiral Viaduct
Just south of the tiny town of Brusio, the Bernina Express train-line encounters one of its many triumphs of engineering: a 110 metre- (360 foot) long spiral that keeps the grade across the whole system limited to 7% or less. Riding the rails is my favourite way to travel. Being able to move around at will, or nestle in a seat or a berth, while watching the world chug past the windows, is just magic to me.
It was summer – many years ago now – and we had several weeks in which to explore Switzerland. On the advice of Swiss friends, we had pre-purchased Swiss Rail Passes and had already enjoyed making extensive use of them to get around the country (eg: Wanderweg around the Pfäffikersee; Balade Des Fontaines, Aigle; Château de Chillon; Schaffhausen and Neuhausen am Rheinfall; Gruyères; The Salt Mines of Bex; Leysin; Lucerne; Bern).
Even by Swiss standards, rail travel doesn’t get much better than in a reserved seat in one of the panorama cars comprising the beautiful, streamlined, Bernina Express trains that run through a UNESCO-listed landscape of mountains, valleys, and engineering marvels!
The highest railway across the Alps, the Bernina Express train line extends from Chur, Switzerland’s oldest town, through the Bernina Pass at Alp Grüm (2,253 m), and then drops into the Val Poschiavo and crosses into Italy, where it terminates in Tirano (441 m). There, summer passengers – like us – can pick up the red Bernina Express Bus which drives past Lake Como and back into Switzerland; ending in Lugano.
We started our sight-seeing circuit near Zürich (see: Railway Dreaming), and stopped overnight in Poschiavo to visit with friends and family and to enjoy the sights in this small Italian-speaking town (see: Switzerland for Lunch). We were up early the following morning to take the next leg of the journey: across the Italian border and into Tirano. In Tirano, we had just enough time between the end of the train and the start of the bus extension to explore and have lunch (Watch this space!).
The scenery along the whole route is spectacular.
Bernina in the Road: Via Principale, Poschiavo
In many of the small towns along the southern end of the Bernina’s route, the railroad shares the streets: in some places, blocking them completely when the train rolls through. There is a train coming down our road as we drag our suitcases out of our Poschiavo hotel and walk towards the station. Along Lago di Poschiavo
Once in our train, we head south: following the shores of Lake Poschiavo. Lago di Poschiavo
Formed by a prehistoric landslide, today this massive lake is used as a reservoir. Out the Windows of the Bernina
The tourist town of Miralago comes into view at the south end of the lake. The Bernina
Many curves – but just a few minutes – later … Brusio
… we can see a section of train snaking through the little municipality of Brusio. Brusio
When we draw into the Brusio RhB (Rhaetian Railway) station, we meet the Bernina that’s heading north to St. Moritz. Almost Abstract: “Trains that Pass“ Brusio
The little town of Brusio looks clean and pretty as we roll by. Crotto
On one side of the tracks, as we make our way out of town, we can see stone igloos. These caves, or crotto, are usually built over running water to keep the temperature inside cool: they originally functioned as archaic refrigerators. The Brusio Spiral Viaduct
On the other side of the train, the incredible Spiral Viaduct comes into view. The Bernina on the Arches
First opened in 1908, the full circle allows the train to drop to the valley without exceeding the maximum allowable 7% grade. The viaduct spans across nine ten-metre arches, and is one of the feats of engineering that led to the Bernina railway being UNESCO World Heritage listed. Bernina Caboose Reflections Castello Di Piattamala
We cross into Italy and drop further into Valtellina Valley. Tirano is in the distance, and the now-abandoned Castello Di Piattamala – built in the early 1920’s – sits across the river. Train into Tirano
We continue to drop down: we started our morning in Poschiavo at 1,014 metres above sea level; Tirano sits at 441 metres. Il Trenino Giallo di Tirano
We have a few hours in Tirano before we need to meet our friends for lunch and catch our Bernina Express Bus back to Switzerland. So, we swap our flashy red train for Tirano’s little yellow tourist train, and set off to explore (see: At the Crossroads of the Mountains). Back on the Buses
Although the buses from Tirano, Italy, through to Lugano, Switzerland, are clean and modern, they cannot possibly compare to the beautiful train carriages. Church on a Hill
The hills rise up steeply, dotted with villages and old churches, … Another Hill – Another Church
… and covered in vineyards. Lake Como
The fabled Lake Como, home to millionaires and celebrities, rolls into view. Sorico Lake Lugano
Afternoon sun lights up the villages lining the shores of Lake Lugano, and we slip from Italy back into Switzerland. Night over Lake Lugano
With our bags stored away in a Lugano hotel room, we enjoy an evening stroll along the promenade. And so ends another day of wonderful exploration – made possible by the fabulous Swiss rail and bus system.
The next day will bring a new adventure.
Until then,
Happy Travels!
Photos: 07August2014
Posted in Landscapes,Switzerland,TravelTags: landscape,Landscapes,nature,Photo Blog,railway,Swiss Alps,Switzerland,train,travel,Travel Blog,UNESCO,Ursula Wall
Sadhu on the Phone
Age-old traditions meet modern technologies: this is India, where there is an amazing new sight around every crowded corner. It is truly a “street photography” bonanza. Incredible India!
That’s how the Government of India has marketed its tourism campaigns since 2002, and it is not wrong.
Incredible!
Defined as: 1) impossible to believe, improbable, inconceivable, preposterous, implausible, unimaginable, or 2) difficult to believe; extraordinary, wonderful, marvellous, amazing, astonishing, astounding, awe-inspiring, awesome, extraordinary, fabulous.
I think the campaign was intended to build on the second meaning, but both are equally true. India is as frustrating as it is captivating; it is amazing and unbelievable. It is full of the unexpected: it is a chaos of colours, a richness of smells and tastes, and a kaleidoscope of visuals.
It is also exceptionally photogenic. Every time I have visited, I have come away exhausted, with a skin bursting with a complex mix of emotions and memories, and cards full of digital images. It takes me forever to go back through these images, but when I do I am plunged back into the crush and the heat and the noise – and I miss it acutely.
The street-photos I’m posting here are from the town of Pushkar in Rajasthan, Northern India. A pilgrimage destination for both Hindus and Sikhs, Pushkar also hosts the annual autumn Camel Fair, which draws crowds of cattle-, horse- and camel-traders, as well as entertainers, touts, venders, and international tourists: like myself, photographer Karl Grobl from Jim Cline Photo Tours, and the small group of photography enthusiasts I was travelling with under the leadership of local guide DV Singh Jagat. We had spent a lot of time on the dusty fairground amid the camels and horses (see: Faces at the Camel Fair, and Among the Camels and Horses), so a walk into town was a welcome respite.
I hope these pictures give you some feel for the messy magic that is India.
Cutting Vegetables
So much “life” happens in the streets and public spaces: you can watch street food being made from scratch. Street Food Stall
You are never very far from food – and there are plenty of eager customers. Making Samosas
So much of it looks fresh and tasty, … Samosas Cooking
… and it’s hard to walk past the samosas! Man in a Doorway Living Divinity
Dressed and painted as one of the the countless Hindu Gods, … Hindu God in Pink
… a child walking into town meets the camera’s gaze. Gold and Bangles
The roadway into town is lined with open shop-fronts … Face in the Crowd
… and crowded with walking people. In addition to the Camel Festival, this day was Prabodhini Ekadashi: a significant Hindu festival that marks the beginning of auspicious ceremonies like marriages, child naming, etc., so the streets going into the many Hindu temples were busy. Selling Tattoos
It is not too late to get an ink design before reaching the temples in town! Sadhu on a Marble Platform
The sadhus fascinate me. This one is clearly important: he is well dressed, in a good location, and surrounded by icons, images, and paraphernalia. Sadhu in Pink
They come in all colours, … Sadhu in Orange
… and can be found tucked in corners or under trees everywhere. In theory sadhus, who are religious ascetics or holy people in Hinduism and Jainism, renounce worldly life. In practice, they are all very different: with different dress and possessions, and different levels of engagement with the secular world. Shoes on Sale
The shops lining the roadway are eye-catching. Man in a Red Pheta (Turban)
Wherever there is a ledge to sit on, pilgrims make use of it to rest. This red turban fabric is typical of Rajasthan, … Man in a Mustard Vest
… but a variety of colours and patterns are possible. The cloth is usually between 3.5 and 6 meters long and 1 meter wide. It is wonderful seeing the fabrics stretched out when they are being washed or died. Indian Women
Women’s headscarves – or ghoonghats – are even more varied than the men’s turbans, and are often embroidered, beaded or sequinned. Gulaab Niwaas Palace
Built between 1743 and 1746 as a summer palace for Maharana Jagat Singh II, this is one of the many beautiful Mewar palaces across Northern India that have been turned into lovely hotels. Lake Pushkar from Rajbohra Ghat
The palace must have a wonderful view; even at our level – lower down – we are overlooking Pushkar Lake and the surrounding town and mountains. Street Scene
Clumps of people gather everywhere – many sitting cross-legged, others in full “Asian squat”. I love the contrast between the mobile phone and the wrapped dreadlocks on the minimalist sadhu in this picture. The Long Moustache
Let me introduce you to an unusual entertainer I met along the road: a juggler and musician … Feet and Moustache
… with bells on his ankles and a moustache down to his feet. The Nose Flutes
He plays his nose flutes for us … Tying up his Moustache
… before plonking his turban on my head and twisting his moustache into a topknot! Incredible, right?
That’s India!
Until next time,
Namaste
Pictures: 13November2013
Posted in environmental portrait,India,TravelTags: environmental portrait,environmental portraits,everyday life,hindu,India,people,Photo Blog,portrait,portraits,Pushkar,travel,Travel Blog,Ursula Wall
Cowra POW Camp
Set in the peaceful pastoral countryside of New South Wales (NSW), Australia, the remains of the WWII Cowra Prisoner of War Camp is listed as one of the state’s top heritage sites. Peace.
Is there such a thing?
At the moment – at least in my corner of the world – there is an absence of war.
Given the current political climates internationally, this absence of war does not feel like “peace”. It feels like a precarious balance of competing tensions: a temporary truce, while one holds ones breath. All around the world, there are military or authoritarian governments in power; there are people trying to live in cities that have been reduced to rubble; and there are people on the move, trying to escape conflict. And Australia, which is ostensibly “at peace”, has thousands of ADF (Australian Defence Forces) personnel deployed to various overseas and internal operations aimed at protecting Australian national interests and borders.
In her 1994 book Time on our Side, Dorothy Rowe, renowned Australian psychologist and writer, posited that true peace is not really possible while we raise children on what she considered “the violence” of bribes and threats, and while governments attempt to subdue each other through trade sanctions (bullying) and more powerful weaponry (force). I fear she is right, but I can’t see an alternative while we have such difficulty with finding common ground across so many domains.
These and other musings on the impossibility of drawing an agreed clear line between concepts integral to the human condition (nature vs nurture; the personal vs the societal; freedom vs responsibility; etc., etc.) whirled around my head after a visit to Cowra, a small town in the Central West of New South Wales, surrounded by fields of grain, orchards, vineyards, vegetable-growing and pastoralism.
Cowra was the site of the bloodiest — and largest — prison escape[s] in British and Australian War history. At the behest of the British Government, Australia built 28 Prisoner of War camps across the country to house soldiers captured in North Africa and the Pacific. Camp Number 12 was built at Cowra in 1941, not far from a Recruit Training Battalion.
At 1:50 in the morning of August 5th 1944, 1,104 Japanese Prisoners of War (POWs) staged a mass breakout from Compound B at the Cowra POW camp. Three hundred and seventy-eight Japanese POWs made it over or through the fence, and 231 died during or as a consequence of the attempt. Five Australians died; all of the escapees who survived were eventually rounded up.
This rather tragic episode was later attributed – in part – to a misunderstanding, but it also highlights some of the enormous differences possible in societal world-views.
Even today, Japanese society is experienced as collectivistic by Western individualist standards; at the time of WWII this was even more the case. Although the country was not without anti-imperial dissidents, Japanese were raised to revere the Emperor as a living deity, and to see war – ideologically – as an act of purification. Following the practice of Bushido, the ancient samurai code of ethics, surrender to enemy forces was unthinkable. In the Field Service Code of 1941, General Tojo instructed: Do not live in shame as a prisoner. Die, and leave no ignominious crime behind you.
In practice, whether Japanese soldiers agreed with these views or not, they had little choice, and surrender would not only disgrace themselves but also bring shame to their families. Most fought until they were killed, or they committed suicide: those who were taken prisoner were often too ill or injured to kill themselves.
Although the captured Japanese in Allied POW camps were treated in accordance with the 1929 Geneva Convention governing the treatment of POWs, their country was not a signatory, and they were expected to vigorously resist incarceration.
This resistance led to the planned mass attack on the camp guards, the Australian soldiers of the 22nd Garrison. What we call the “Cowra Breakout” might better be referred to as the ‘night of a thousand suicides’.
Either way, like most episodes in war, it resulted in tragic loss of life.
Cowra Information Centre
Visitors to Cowra are encouraged to follow “The Cowra Breakout Trail”, which starts at the Information Centre with a delightful 9-minute hologram and explanatory sign boards. (iPhone6) Entry to the Japanese War Cemetery
The Cowra War Cemetery includes a section for the remains of all Japanese prisoners of war who died in Australia during World War II. This includes those killed during the Battle of Darwin: the Japanese bombing of Darwin in the Northern Territory on 19 February 1942. Fallen Leaves
Autumn leaves and dappled light add to the sense of respectful quiet. Ishi-Dōrō
This is the only Japanese war cemetery maintained in Australia: the land was ceded to Japan in 1963. Memorial : Japanese War Cemetery Japanese POWs
There are 523 graves here, including those of the 231 Japanese soldiers who were killed during the 1944 Cowra Breakout. The Cowra General Cemetery
The general town cemetery is at the same location, … “Cause of Death: Illness”
… as are the markers for Australian WWII service personnel. These include those who died in training at the local Military Camp, and the four who were killed during the Breakout. Garrison Walk
Nearby, a one-kilometre walk leads around the old garrison and the prisoner of war camp. Remains of the Electrical Switching Hut
Most of the buildings in the camp and garrison were rather make-shift and have long since disappeared, but this one was more sturdily build by Italian POWs from recycled materials scavenged in the area. Camp Ruins
It is a peaceful walk around the ruins: even on an Autumn day, the sun radiates heat through the clean air, while a graceful tree shades the foundations of a POW hut. Nature’s Artworks : Almost Abstract Japanese Gardens
My next stop was at the Japanese Gardens – an enduring symbol of reconciliation between Australia and Japan designed in Edo-period style by Ken Nakajima. Ducklings
At 12 acres (5 hectares), these are the largest Japanese gardens in the Southern Hemisphere. Galahs – Eolophus Roseicapilla
A variety of Australian native birds make themselves right at home here. Eastern Rosellas – Platycercus Eximius Red-Rumped Parrot – Psephotus Haematonotus Waterfalls
The first stage of the garden was opened in 1979, and a second section was opened in 1986. Coi Pond Little Pied Cormorant – Microcarbo Melanoleucos Cowra from the Hill
At the top of a small hill near the gardens, a lookout allows views over the Lachlan Valley and the town. World Peace Bell
Made from melted coins from the 103 member countries of the United Nations, Cowra’s Peace Bell is a symbol of the town’s commitment to international understanding. It is the only one of its kind outside a capital city. Thomas William Wood’s Portrait of Thomas Walker (Copy)
War and Pieced: The Annette Gero Collection of Quilts from Military Fabrics was in the Cowra Regional Art Gallery when I visited, and was a special treat! Often called “soldiers’ quilts” or “convalescent quilts” these stunning blankets pieced from remnants of uniforms from historical wars show that beautiful things can come from conflict. Soldier On by Lucy Carroll
My favourite quilt was the modern artwork made in 2012 by Australian quilter Lucy Carroll in honour of the ANZACs (Australian New Zealand Army Corps). That ANZAC quilt brought my Cowra visit to a perfect end: it was a reminder of the losses and sacrifices on all sides in times of conflict.
Somehow, we never learn.
Lest we Forget
Pictures: 12-13April2019
Posted in Australia,History,MemorialTags: Australia,bird,history,landscape,memorial,museum,Photo Blog,POW,remembrance,travel,Travel Blog,Ursula Wall,war,WWII
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