"Peace Crane, I will write peace on your wings and you will fly all over the world." — Sadako Sasaki
Visit Anzac Square anytime from Monday 22 January until Friday 13 September (closed Saturdays) to fold a paper crane and convey a message of peace to Hiroshima as part of our ‘1000 Paper Cranes for Hiroshima’ project.
Sadako Sasaki was 2 years old at the time of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on 6 August, 1945 at 8:15 am. She survived and appeared unharmed, but was diagnosed with leukemia nine years later. In keeping with the Japanese saying that one who folds 1000 paper cranes will be granted a wish, she kept folding cranes from her hospital bed until her passing on 25 October, 1955 at the age of 12. During her illness, Sadako is said to have shared thoughts on how she could make the world a more peaceful place. Today, Hiroshima receives around 10 million paper cranes each year from all around the world. The paper cranes are displayed at the Children's Peace Monument in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.
In the spirit of this movement, we are inviting you to visit Anzac Square Memorial Galleries anytime from now until Friday 13 September 2024 to fold paper cranes. You are also more than welcome to bring in a crane that you have folded at home to add to the collection. Once we have assembled 1000 cranes, they will be bundled together and sent to Hiroshima. Our paper cranes will be displayed at the Children’s Peace Monument in the Hiroshima Peace Park.
Visit Anzac Square (open 10 am - 4 pm Sunday to Friday) to fold your crane (bookings required for school groups - please contact us in advance by phone or email two weeks prior). You can find us at 285 Ann St, under the Shrine of Remembrance. There will be instructions and staff on hand in our Post World War II Gallery to help you fold your first crane, and we will also have the book ‘Sadako and the 1000 Paper Cranes’ by Eleanor Coerr on display. After your visit, see the progress of the project by following us on Facebook and Instagram.
Plan your visit here.
Upcoming events
Day
Thu 2 May
Fri 3 May
Sat 4 May
Sun 5 May
Mon 6 May
Time
12–6am
12–6am
12–6am
12–6am
12–6am