Earlier in the year I was in Wellington for a conference. Our conference dinner was at Te Papa Tongarewa, our National Museum, and as part of the evening, we were able to go and visit the ‘Gallipoli: The scale of our war‘ exhibition.
It
was
OUTSTANDING.
I am not often left speechless, but this exhibition was something quite special.
Whilst I could wax lyrical about the exhibition, I will let the pictures paint the words. If you think the photos I took were pretty amazing (and I am by no means a photographer so I am sorry about the quality), then imagine the scale of it when up close and personal!
What struck me was the size. They are humongous. Because they are so big, you can feel the magnitude of the moment. The sounds, the atmosphere and the attention to detail works its magic in such a way that I felt a roller coaster of emotions; from the desolation that comes from knowing that war is wasteful and immune to the loss of human life, to heartache and sadness. Most poignant for me was the nurse.
As a kiwi it really bought home to me our role in that war, a role often overshadowed by the A in the ANZAC. Our story is not always heard, as it can too easily be swallowed by the louder, larger and more pronounced voices. But like other cultures, our kiwi families have stories and connections that are just as powerful, and I felt the tug of history reminding me of the people in my own family who scarified to be a part of a larger effort.
Todays post has been a long time coming, waiting for me to have the time to compile – the timing is perfect. With summer holidays here, my advice if you are able, is to take your family to Wellington and go and see this exhibition. You will not be disappointed.
The exhibition is set to run for a long time so add it to your bucket list of things to see.
I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Whilst I could wax lyrical about the exhibition, I will let the pictures paint the words. If you think the photos I took were pretty amazing (and I am by no means a photographer so I am sorry about the quality), then imagine the scale of it when up close and personal!
What struck me was the size. They are humongous. Because they are so big, you can feel the magnitude of the moment. The sounds, the atmosphere and the attention to detail works its magic in such a way that I felt a roller coaster of emotions; from the desolation that comes from knowing that war is wasteful and immune to the loss of human life, to heartache and sadness. Most poignant for me was the nurse.
As a kiwi it really bought home to me our role in that war, a role often overshadowed by the A in the ANZAC. Our story is not always heard, as it can too easily be swallowed by the louder, larger and more pronounced voices. But like other cultures, our kiwi families have stories and connections that are just as powerful, and I felt the tug of history reminding me of the people in my own family who scarified to be a part of a larger effort.
Todays post has been a long time coming, waiting for me to have the time to compile – the timing is perfect. With summer holidays here, my advice if you are able, is to take your family to Wellington and go and see this exhibition. You will not be disappointed.
The exhibition is set to run for a long time so add it to your bucket list of things to see.
I promise you won’t be disappointed.
