Press release: HMAS Perth(I) Exhibition
Location. City of Perth Townhall under croft, corner of Hay and Barrack Street.
Dates. Open to the public on the 4th, 5th, 8th and 9th of March.
Tickets. Free entry.
Contact. David Nicolson, email. dcnicolson@gmail.com. Ph 94484987
Web page. www.hmasperth1memorial.com.au
The HMAS Perth(I) Memorial Foundation Inc. will be holding an exhibition to commemorate the HMAS Perth(I) and the USS Houston which were lost at the Battle of Sunda Strait in March 1942.
The exhibition will be opened on the 3rd of March by the Lord Mayor of Perth, Basil Zemplis for invited guests.
This free exhibition will be held in the City of Perth Town Hall under croft and will be open to the public on the of 4th, 5th, 8th and 9th March from 10am to 4pm.
The HMAS Perth(I) Memorial Foundation, with the help of the City of Perth, are putting on this exhibition to promote the proposed building of a memorial to those lost during the battle, those who died in captivity and those who returned after the war.
Featured will be a model of the proposed memorial to be built on Riverside Road, East Fremantle, artefacts and paintings of HMAS Perth (I) provided by the City of Perth, exhibits on loan from the HMAS Stirling museum and large scale models of all five ships sunk by the Japanese during the Battles of the Java Sea and Sunda Stait.
Banners and video presentation will tell the story of this tragic loss.
A new addition to the commemoration event this year there will be the ringing of the bells from the Bell Tower following the official opening at 1.30 on the 3rd of March. Eight bell ringers will perform a quarter peal of a Grandsire Triple which will last for 47 minutes. A second quarter peal will be rung on Saturday 5 March at midday, so that the bells can be heard by members of the public attending the exhibition. (More information on the history and reasons for the bell ringing can be provided if required.)
David Nicolson
16-2-2022
