Hundreds of people are expected to come together in Denham this weekend to honour the lives lost in the single greatest maritime disaster in Australian history.
All 645 men aboard HMAS Sydney (II) lost their lives following a battle with German raider HSK Kormoran on November 19, 1941. Eighty one men from the HSK Kormoran died in the battle.
HMAS Sydney Memorial Weekend 2021 events include:
- a live stream of the Geraldton HMAS Sydney (II) Memorial Service on Friday, November 19;
- a concert at George Wear Park in Denham on Saturday, November 20; and
- a march to the Shark Bay World Heritage Discovery Centre where a memorial service will be held on Sunday, November 21.
Entry to HMAS Sydney Memorial Weekend 2021 is free and is being supported by the Western Australian Government with a $51,752 grant from the Anzac Day Trust Grants Program.
First committed to at the March State election and funded as part of the 2021-22 State Budget, the WA Government has increased the annual funding to veterans' organisations from $1 million to $1.3 million.
As stated by Veterans Issues Minister Paul Papalia:
"This weekend we pause to commemorate those who lost their lives in the single greatest maritime disaster in Australian history - the sinking of HMAS Sydney (II).
"The battle that ensued on November 19, 1941 accounted for more than a third of the Royal Australian Navy's casualties during World War II.
"The WA Government is proud to be able to support the memorial events in Denham through the Anzac Day Trust Grants Program."
