A project to create handmade poppies to honour fallen soldiers on Anzac Day has culminated in 250,000 flowers decorating Federation Square in Melbourne.
Melbourne artists Lynn Berry and Margaret Knight started the project, called 5,000 Poppies, two years ago with a simple call-out, asking for people to create crocheted, knitted, felted or sewn poppies.
"This project started its life as a very small personal project to make 120... yes that’s 120 poppies as a tribute from Marg and I to our fathers who both fought in WWII," Berry wrote on the project's blog. It ballooned to 5,000, by the end of 2014 it hit more than 100,000, and now stands at a count of 250,000.
A sea of crochet poppies at @Fed_Square. All made by volunteers. We gave space for making the squares at TH. #ANZAC pic.twitter.com/aapo0SDCEw— Robert Doyle (@LordMayorMelb) April 24, 2015
A sea of poppies have been placed on the stairs at Federation Square #AnzacDay #ANZACDay2015 pic.twitter.com/E6ntCZ4wTo— Marcus Padley (@Marcus_Today) April 24, 2015
The women said the response from the public had been "massive" and that the duo weren't quite "ready for the impact of the work we have been doing for the last two years." They estimate 50,000 contributors and volunteers have been involved in the project and more than 130,000 hours have been spent on making the tribute.
The poppies have been attached to netting and installed over a 12-hour period by volunteers, creating an 800-square-metres field of poppies in Federation Square in the centre of Melbourne, Australia. Other installations have been created in small towns across Australia and in New Zealand, with a team creating a work in the Navy Museum in Devonport.
April 25, 2015, known as Anzac Day, is the 100-year anniversary of the Australian and New Zealand forces (Anzacs) landing in Gallipoli during World War I. Poppies are a symbol of blood spilled in the war and this tribute is a powerful statement.
200,000 crochet poppies cover @Fed_Square steps for #AnzacDay. (Pic:Norm Oorloff) #Melbourne pic.twitter.com/lAKSI0tdXj— Brendan Casey (@BrendoCasey) April 24, 2015
A field of crocheted poppies at Federation Square for #ANZAC day @abcnewsMelb pic.twitter.com/aBPcE3WKS9— Stephanie Anderson (@skateanderson) April 24, 2015
@mmmhotbreakfast 5000 handmade red poppies on display at fed square this morning! #LestWeForget pic.twitter.com/UejWDBOMXT— Kristina (@StinaPrincess) April 23, 2015
5000 poppies plus at Federation Square becomes 150000 poppies plus pic.twitter.com/lrswwRub7w— Ted Baillieu (@TedBaillieu) April 23, 2015
After Sunday, Lynn and Margaret are hoping the installation will tour the country before settling in the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. It is booked to appear in Perth for Remembrance Day in November.