Canberra

At 7:30 this morning we boarded a coach for our 9 hour tour of Canberra. Danny was our very personable driver. We finally saw two kangaroos in the wild, hopping across the road that took us to Mt. Ainslie.

From Mt. Ainslie, we could see the city of Canberra laid out below us. As Charlie would point out several times, there is a straight line of sight from the new parliament building to the ANZAC Museum. The museum houses walls on which are written the names of servicemen and women who have died in military service to their country. When Parliament votes to join a military action, members look down their line of sight to the war memorial in recognition that their choice will result in names being added to the walls.

We had a tour of the new parliament building. Neither the Senate nor the House of Representatives were in session, so we sat in empty chambers as our guide described the structure and workings of the two houses. We were able to walk about on the roof of the building (wonderful views), but the parkland on the roof was not accessible.

We next spent an hour at the U.S. Embassy. About half of that time we spent in a question-and-answer session with three Americans working at the embassy. After discussing their positions (security, public relations, political advisor), they gave advice to students planning a career in foreign service. We left the embassy at noon, which was 10:00 p.m. Sunday in New York. As Charlie was our guide at the next venue, the ANZAC Parade and Museum, there was no opportunity for anyone to tell us that Bin Laden had been killed. Charlie and I turned on the news after dinner and immediately informed our students. Several nationalities and faiths are represented here at the hotel, and we must be respectful.

The ANZAC Parade is a road lined with war memorials; the road leads to the museum. We took our time on the Parade, viewing sculptures and displays honoring soldiers of the Vietnam, Korea, and WWI desert battles. Nurses, the Air Force, and the Navy also had beautiful memorials. Australia even included a memorial honoring the Turkish soldiers who fought against the ANZAC troops at Gallipoli.

In the museum, Charlie took us through the rooms that focused on the two world wars. He highlighted the battle at Gallipoli, which demonstrated the strength and perseverance of the ANZAC troops. He also talked about the vulnerability of Australia during World War II –their troops were fighting with the British on various fronts – and how the United States sent troops to aid in the defense after Japan bombed northern Australia. The alliance between our two countries continues to be strong.

We leave Canberra tomorrow.