VE DAY CELEBRATION IN AUSTRALIA

Southland Times, Issue 25669, 11 May 1945, Page 5

VE DAY CELEBRATION IN AUSTRALIA

(Rec. 10 p.m.) SYDNEY, .May 10. With hotels, picture theatres and other places of entertainment closed in Australian cities yesterday, the people had little to do but walk in the streets and sit in the parks. The VE Day thanksgiving services were well attended. At night, however, large crowds which wandered streets in both Sydney and Melbourne spontaneously made their own entertainment by organizing processions and sing songs.

Again, as on the previous night more than 20,000 sang and danced in Martin Place and King’s Cross in Sydney until the police told them to go home. At midnight, most people had left the streets.

' At least 10,000 of the revellers staged an impromptu march from King’s Cross, interrupting traffic by stopping trams and cars. They pulled the trolley poles from the tram power lines, leapt on backs of cars and lorries, overturned traffic signals and removed rubbish receptacles and carried them along beating them as drums. The police attempted unsuccessfully to stop the procession. In Melbourne, a crowd estimated at 11,000 marched from the heart of the city to the State Parliament House. On the way, shouting youths broke six fire alarms and caused minor traffic jams. They invaded The Herald (Melbourne) newspaper office, waving flags and singing. Police having at first tried to restrain the crowd gave up the unequal struggle and stood by laughing.