On Sunday July 30, Christ Church Cathedral held a special service for re-hallowing the Birdwood Flag. The liturgy celebrated the work of a past parishioner from the Parish of Georgetown, Dora Sparke.
Dora Sparke was known as very active member of St Philip’s Waratah in the first half of last century. Before she died in 1957 she gave the parish a set of communion vessels which featured her mother’s jewellery.
Dora was also seen very active in the wider church/community. She led the project to create the Birdwood Flag in 1916 and to send it to the Western Front – the first Australian flag used in WW1. She arranged for it to be hung in the Cathedral when it was returned after the war. Over the years the flag disintegrated, but it was recently rediscovered and has now been restored.
Parish Council recently decided to loan the valuable Sparke vessels to the Cathedral where they could be displayed securely. The vessels went to the Cathedral last Friday, where they were joyfully welcomed. They will be restored, and displayed along with the Birdwood Flag.
