The Parkes College for Seniors joined knitters from around Australia to help create 60,000 poppies to mark the centenary of the end of World War I in November next year. About 20 members and guests held a special session last week to create the poppies to be sent to Canberra. The group has done close to 500 poppies to contribute to the centenary that will see a carpet of poppies at the Australian War Memorial. Each poppy knitted will represent an Australian life lost in World War I – the costliest conflict to Australia in terms of deaths. Out of the 416,809 men who enlisted, 60,000 were killed and 156,000 were wounded, gassed or taken prisoner.