For those whose futures never unfolded

By Julie Daly, School Archivist

The students and staff in Abbotsleigh Senior School's Wool for Warmth crochet and knitting club are excited to have been involved with the beautiful poppy installation at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Commemorating 100 years since the end of the First World War and the 62,000 Australian lives lost in that war, each poppy represents one of those lives lost. Each poppy has been handmade – either crocheted or knitted – and involved hundreds of crocheters and knitters around the country. 

The Wool for Warmth crochet and knitting club participants were thrilled to play a small part in this wonderful project. Our entry in the poppy roll of honour reads: Dedicated to all those young people who left school early and never saw their futures unfold as they would have imagined – we thank you for the futures you have enabled us to have. 

The display at the Australian War Memorial is on until this Monday 12 November 2018.

You can read more about this project here.

Wool for Warmth meets every Monday lunchtime in the Senior School Library, and girls from all year groups are invited to come and learn how to knit and crochet; either for yourself, for charity or as part of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

The Betty Archdale Library and the Thurles Thomas Archives have also put together a Remembrance Day display at the entrance to the Senior School Library, and a PowerPoint highlighting Abbotsleigh's involvement in the First World War will also be shown until Monday. Several handmade poppies are included in this display, including some white poppies, which symbolise the sacrifice of our nurses and doctors in the war.