Poppies bloom in our terminal as a tribute to Australian servicemen and servicewomen
Canberra Airport is proud to unveil two handcrafted poppy tributes in the main atrium and international arrivals terminals to mark the centenary of the Armistice which ended the First World War.
Created in collaboration by the 5000 Poppies Project (CIT), the Canberra Institute of Technology and the Australian War Memorial, the cascading installations are a stunning, visual tribute of all Australians who served in wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations. The installations at Canberra Airport showcase wreaths of handcrafted poppies set in front of the large glass panels of the main atrium and towering stands of poppies in the international terminal, reminiscent of the columns of poppies on the Roll of Honour, designed by Hazel Davies from CIT Floristry.
“We are certainly most fortunate and very grateful for the sacrifice of our military members and their families, past and present,” says Stephen Byron, Managing Director of Canberra Airport. “To host these two beautiful exhibits in partnership with the Memorial is an honour. They will both educate and remind travellers of our history, trials and sacrifices.”
The airport installations are part of a five-week commemorative program culminating with a display of 62,000 handcrafted poppies installed on the grounds of the Australian War Memorial. This display, features poppies lovingly created by volunteers as part of the 5,000 Poppies Project and designed by award-winning landscape designer Phillip Johnson. Other Memorial programs include image projections, a special exhibition, musical performances, and the projection of a beam of light from the Memorial to Parliament House.