Albany and the Anzacs

King George Sound,

Sunday 14^th August

Another full day in Albany started with a drive out to Middleton Beach and Emu Point. Then a lovely scenic coastal drive to a lookout with views out to the main channel and the Southern Ocean.

List of ships in the convoy.

 Princess Royal Harbour looking out to sea.

A convoy of ships assembled in King George Sound in November 1914, from both Australia and New Zealand and sailed off via Columbo and the Suez Canal to training camps in Eygpt, the first Anzacs. 10,000 men from new Zealand in 10 transports joined together with 28 Australian troop carriers carrying 20,000 men and 7, 477 horses. Only at Albany were all the ships seen together.

Albany was chosen as the rendezvous because it was an important coal and watering port.

For thousands of these men, Albany was their last glimpse of Australia.
The Princess Royal Harbour would have to be one of the most beautiful harbours. John and I saw it on a perfect day.

 At the Princess Royal fortress, built in 1893 and now a tourist attraction, there is a plague facing the harbour on a hill looking out to sea, with the names of all the Anzac fleet. And perched high on Mt Clarence, there is a bronze statue of the light horsemen, which once stood in Port Said and now stands proudly honouring the Anzacs.

Anzac statue at Mt.Clarence.

The first Anzac Day Dawn service was held in Albany in 1918.

A fun attraction in town was Dog Rock, which looks like the head of a dog.

                                         Dog Rock

There is an old brig, the Amity, close to town, now in dry dock in a park. John looked at the old goal, then we drove around looking at the old homes around the town.

The brig Amity.

lovely old home.