Vindicatrix Boy

Congratulations to our local community newspaper, the Portside Messenger, for their support for Light on the Water.

The newspaper, journalist Adam Todd and photographers have done a lot to promote the unique Port Adelaide event, as shown by Wednesday’s front page and continuing coverage in this week’s edition.

The Tal-Kin-Jeri Dance Group salute the lost crew of HMAS Sydney

The Royal Australian Navy Ceremonial Unit saluting 645 of their own

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Photos by David Nearmy and Jenny Fitzpatrick

Photos by David Nearmy and Jenny Fitzpatrick

The ANZAC Light on the Water tribute to the 645 lost crew of HMAS Sydney provided stunning new ANZAC images for Australia.

Television coverage was extensive with a brilliant feature story leading the Ten Network’s morning show across Australia at 9 am on ANZAC morning.

Amongst a flood of top news stories including the controversial Olympic torch relay on Thursday and a multitude of ANZAC events from Gallipoli to Villers Bretonneaux, dawn services and marches here and around the world, the Port Adelaide commemoration was highly visible.

Channel Ten national coverage included interviews with Le Fevre Primary School students and their rendition of the national anthem over footage from the night including the candle-lit boats and floating of wreaths.

There was continuing coverage throughout the day and night on Ten, Nine, Seven and the ABC.

Indigenous and Navy ceremonial spectacles added to the poignant sight of school students, naval cadets and North Haven Surf Lifesavers launching the candle-lit boats on the dark waters of the Port River.

Earlier the South Australian Pipes and Drums had presented a one hour Ceilidh music concert in Black Diamond Square.


Next year we are planning to focus on the little-known story of the hospital ship HMAS Centaur which was sunk by Japanese torpedoes in 1943.

Photographs by Jan Bransbury

Children of the families of relatives of crew members who went down with HMAS Sydney will formally pay their respects when they launch 3000 candle-lit lifeboats bearing their relatives’ names on the Port River on ANZAC Eve.

They include 11-year-old Victoria Burrowes aged 11 years for crew member Douglas James Burrowes and Rebecca Kinnear for R. Schulz.

Rich in naval history, Port Adelaide was devastated when Sydney vanished in November 1941 and ANZAC Eve will be an emotional night for locals as a total of 3000 candle-lit lifeboats made by South Australian school students are launched.

Many of the lifeboats carry poignant and superbly decorated messages on behalf of many Australians, both groups and individuals, who fought in a multitude of battles including Villers Bretonneux 90 years ago to the day on April 24.

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Students at Adelaide’s Star of the Sea Primary School invited local RSL veterans to a special church service they conducted themselves and took their ANZAC Eve HMAS Sydney replica candle-lit lifeboats to place in front of the altar.

Channel Seven filmed the moving and poignant service for the 6 pm news as children and veterans paid tribute to the lost crew of HMAS Sydney and all Australians who have served their country.

Many of the students will take part in the launching of 3000 cardboard candle-lit lifeboats with many bearing the names of HMAS Sydney crew on the Port River on ANZAC Eve.

The first photographs and video of HMAS Sydney II, taken at a depth of more than 2 kilometres by the research ship SV Geosounder, have now been released on the Finding Sydney Foundation website.

HMAS Sydney’s lifeboats are seen strewn over the debris field in this picture from the Geosounder’s remotely operated camera