St John's Cathedral, Brisbane and the Anzac Legend

He also played a key role in the campaign to erect Brisbane’s central civic war memorial: Anzac Square and its Shrine of Remembrance. As well, he agitated for the establishment of Soldier Settlement Schemes across Queensland and importantly helped persuade Commonwealth and State Governments to establish Anzac Day as a national public holiday on par with Good Friday and Christmas Day (significantly the term ‘holiday’ derives from the Old English term ‘holy day’). Garland also became a well-known radio personality, broadcasting weekly sermons which attracted an audience as far away as Hobart and Thursday Island. So high was Garland’s standing in the Queensland community that when he died in 1939, two of the pallbearers at his funeral were the Queensland Premier, the Honourable William Forgan Smith, and a future Premier, the Honourable Edward (‘Ned’) Hanlon. In 2015 the Brisbane City Council also honoured Garland when it announced that the lawn area surrounding the Cross of Sacrifice and the Stone of Remembrance at Toowong Cemetery would be known as ‘Canon Garland Place.’ Garland’s final resting place lies not far away in the cemetery, as does the grave of the Reverend Maxwell who flew the last flag at Gallipoli (section 1). Council’s gesture followed a community-driven effort to restore and re-dedicate Garland’s tomb at the cemetery. In 2016 an impressive and informative memorial to Garland was unveiled at the Kangaroo Point Cliffs Park in Brisbane by the Acting Governor-General, the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC, and blessed by the Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane, Dr Phillip Aspinall. Garland is further remembered by the Brisbane community-based Canon Garland Memorial Society Incorporated which maintains an online blog dedicated to Garland’s life and work (www.garlandmemorial.com). St John’s Cathedral does not itself contain a memorial to Canon Garland but his close association with the Cathedral makes it fitting that his legacy should be included in this book, which is dedicated to the service and sacrifice of Australia’s Defence Force personnel whose cause and memory Garland championed so tirelessly and effectively.

The first Anzac Day Parade in Brisbane on 25 April 1916 organised by Canon Garland and the Anzac Day Commemoration Committee of Queensland.

State Library of Queensland

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