ANZAC Day : The History Of The Anzacs
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Anzac Day
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ANZAC Day - 25 April - is probably
Australia's most respected national holiday. It marks the anniversary
of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand
forces during World War I.
ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand
Army Corps. The soldiers in those forces quickly became known as
ANZACs, and the pride in that name still stands to this day.
For some, ANZAC Day is a chance to reflect
on
friends and brothers in arms, who are no longer with us and for others
its a chance to show their
respect to the brave men that fought on behalf of our country.
The Australian and New Zealand forces landed
on Gallipoli on 25 April, meeting fierce resistance from the Ottoman
Turkish defenders. What had been planned as a bold stroke to knock
Turkey out of the war quickly became a stalemate, and the campaign
dragged on for eight months.
At the end of 1915 the allied forces were
evacuated, after both sides had suffered heavy casualties and endured
great hardships.
Over 8,000 Australian soldiers had been
killed. News
of the landing on Gallipoli had made a profound impact on Australians
at home, and 25 April soon became the day on which Australians
remembered the sacrifice of those who had died in the war.
Although the Gallipoli campaign failed in
its military objectives, the Australian and New Zealand actions during
the campaign left us all a powerful legacy.
The creation of what became
known as the "ANZAC legend" became an important part of the identity of
both nations, shaping the ways they viewed both their past and their
future.
The 25th of April was officially named ANZAC
Day in 1916. It was marked by a wide variety of ceremonies and services
in Australia, a march through London, and a sports day in the
Australian camp in Egypt. In London over 2,000 Australian and New
Zealand troops marched through the streets.
A London newspaper headline
dubbed them “the knights of Gallipoli”. Marches were held all over
Australia; in the Sydney march, convoys of cars carried wounded
soldiers from Gallipoli attended by nurses.
For the remaining years of
the war, ANZAC Day was used as an occasion for patriotic rallies and
recruiting campaigns, and parades of serving members of the AIF were
held in most cities.
Australians recognise 25 April as an
occasion of national remembrance, which takes two forms. Commemorative
services are held at dawn – the time of the original landing – across
the nation.
Later in the day, ex-servicemen and women
meet to take part
in marches through the major cities and in many smaller centres.
Commemorative ceremonies are more formal and
are held at war memorials
around the country. In these ways, ANZAC Day is a time when Australians
reflect on the many different meanings of war.
For ANZAC Dawn Service, ANZAC Commemoration
March & ANZAC Commemoration Ceremony locations please
around the country:
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