Simpson Prize 30 April

30 April 2007 by Simpson Prize. 2 Comments
Battlefield Tours, Simpson Prize

The intrepid Simpson Prize group have now returned to Australia after a very successful tour to Turkey. The final days of the trip were spent in Istanbul visiting the Dolmabache Palace, followed by a shopping frenzy in the Spice Market and the Grand Bazaar. Purchases varied from the predictable (Turkish Delight) to the exotic (belly dancing outfit) and many in the group launched into the spirit of haggling with great enthusiasm. On our last night we shared the farewell dinner with the Memorial’s battlefield tour group, giving us the opportunity to formally thank our fabulous Turkish guide Guzin Sapmaz and bus driver Mehmet
Overall, the trip was a very successful one for the students and teachers. The tour brought together a diverse group of young Australians to share a common experience that I’m sure will stay with them for the rest of their lives. If previous Simpson Prize winners are a guide, this year’s group will continue to participate in commemorative activities and help others understand the enduring impact of the Gallipoli campaign on Australia and Turkey.

Andrew Gray
Simpson Prize Tour Guide
Australian War Memorial

the verso of the story

30 April 2007 by Janda Gooding. 1 Comment
George Lambert: Gallipoli and Palestine Landscapes, Conservation, Exhibition

‘Rest Gully and pack mule’ 1919 by George Lambert ART02856

With all the work the conservation team - David, Ilaria, Sharon, Gajendra and Sophie - have done on the Lamberts for the exhibition, lots of new things have emerged - and the backs of the images are a goldmine for information. We’ve uncovered other paintings, unfinished sketches and interesting old labels. All of this adds to our understanding of George Lambert and how he worked.

The ‘Double trouble’ post revealed the story of uncovering the back of one painting to find another - The top of the Taurus Ranges. On the back of The Nek, Walker’s Ridge, site of the charge of the light horse is a study of a horse and pack mule in Rest Gully at Gallipoli (now framed so that is visible). During his stay at Gallipoli in 1919, Lambert was assisted by soldiers assigned to help him. On this occasion he was accompanied by someone he termed a ‘Dinkum’ Aussie’ who carried the painting gear, and odd bits of salvage on a pack-mule. Lambert rode what he described as “a very ugly plug, a small draught horse which, though unspeakably plain, is useful and has a fondness for the mule. The mule breaks away every fifteen minutes or so when we camp for painting and the Dinkum shows the stuff he is made of by sliding down the side of the precipice and catching her, tethering her by some special stunt … then he climbs laboriously back to me and by the time he reaches my summit she is off again; quite a good circus for a grey day … one afternoon I varied the programme by doing a sketch of the little gully, called Rest Gully, where the 5th Field Ambulance, from Sydney, and commanded by Dr. Roth, was camped during the occupation. With the horse and mule in the foreground it made a decent sketch”. (1)

‘Walad camp follower’ 1918 by George Lambert ART02698

On the verso of Jebel Saba, near Nalin is Walad Camp follower, an oil sketch of an Arab boy. It’s a fairly simple study with lots of the background quickly dashed in. There is one brief reference to this work in a list of paintings consigned by Lambert from Palestine to London in May 1918 where he says that on the back of Jebel Saba, near Nalin “there is a study of a Walad Camp Follower.” ‘Walad’ is Arabic for ‘boy’ and a short entry in the publication Australia in Palestine noted: “You occasionally find Arab boys travelling with the Light Horse, keen little beggars who act as cooks’ offsiders and batmen’s batmen, and officers smile and sympathetically shut their eyes to it.” (2) We don’t know as yet where Lambert painted this portrait and can’t assume that just because it’s on the back of the Nalin work that it was painted around there. All the backs of the Lambert oil on cardboard and wood panel sketches were sealed with varnish or shellac to prevent the wood from warping or splitting. This is what causes the dark and light bands across the image of the boy (above).

1. Thirty Years of an Artist’s Life, by Amy Lambert, Sydney 1938, pp. 104-05.

2. Australia in Palestine, Sydney 1919, p.118.

End of the trip, but not the posts

29 April 2007 by John Lafferty. 3 Comments
Battlefield Tours, After the trip

We have now left Turkey and gone on our own different ways. Some are off to the Western Front Battlefield Tour, some are returning home and others (like myself) are continuing with other travelling.

There are more images and information to pass on. For example I have a number of images that I have taken to show how the battlefields have changed with “then and now” collections. There are also more images from ANZAC Day and the last days we had in Istanbul. But these will have to wait until I return to Australia later this week. Until then please send me any comments or photo requests. I will follow up these requests on my return.

Day 12 - ANZAC Day

29 April 2007 by John Lafferty. 2 Comments
Battlefield Tours, Gallipoli, Week 2

View larger imageThe big day. We start at 1:30am from the Kum Hotel by bus and drive to ANZAC Cove. From there we have the short walk to the dawn service area. This is done early so that we miss the crowds and get some seating. While waiting for the service to begin we see some documentaries and information about some of the ANZACs that died in the campaign.

View larger imageView larger imageAfter the service we have a long walk up Artillery Road to Lone Pine. Some who require it are shuttled there by bus. This is the site of the Australian service. The wait from 7:30am, when most of us arrive, until the services start at 10:30am is made to feel shorter by a commentator who keeps the information about what is going to happen light hearted.

At the end of the formal proceedings there is time for the public to lay wreaths and a number of people in the group take the time to do this.

At the end of the Lone Pine service we head back down the Artillery Road where our bus is waiting to take us back to the Hotel. All this is over by about 12:30. The afternoon has a walk with Kenan for those with some energy left over - most have a sleep.

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Day 11

29 April 2007 by John Lafferty. No comments
Battlefield Tours, Gallipoli, Week 2

View larger image View larger imageThe day before ANZAC day and there is only a half day of activities planned as tommorrow is a 1am start. We use this time to visit some area of interest to the group. Some we have seen before, like Quin’s Post, and other areas like a walk along ANZAC Cove are done by some of the group for the first time. This is basically a catchup day.

View larger image In the afternoon a lot us get a bit of extra sleep but there are a group who go on an other walk.

Additonal images from day 11

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Day 10

29 April 2007 by John Lafferty. 1 Comment
Battlefield Tours, Gallipoli, Week 2

View larger imageView larger imageThe morning of our 10^th day on tour has the option of long walk along the ridge above the northern end of Sulva Bay or a shorter walk along the beach of ANZAC cove. For about half of the group (including myself) the long walk ridge walk was the choice. This gave us some great views of Suvla Bay from an area not visited by most visitors to Gallipoli due to its remoteness. The start of this walk also has the only remaining original Turkish Memorial.

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View larger imageThe afternoon was a special treat with a ferry tip from the Kabatepe port, which is just south of ANZAC Cove, to the top of Suvla Bay and return. With a flat bottom car ferry is used for this trip the captain was able to bring as in quite close to the shore line giving not only a great view of the coast line and hills but also a view of the wreck of the sunken remains of the Milo.