28th April 2011
ANZAC Day – Part of Australia’s National Identity
On 25 April I got up at 4.00am to attend the ANZAC Day Dawn Service at Canberra’s magnificent Australian War Memorial. It was a very moving experience. I was deeply impressed to see a crowd of some 20,000 people so still and silent that you could hear the cockatoos screeching in the trees – a very Australian sound. Later that morning I returned to the Memorial for the parade of proud veterans from many past conflicts, and during the service I laid a wreath on behalf of the UK.
For many Australians, ANZAC Day has become their default National Day. Although the Gallipoli Landings which it commemorates were 96 years ago, far from fading away the memorial services are increasing in popularity. Thousands of young Australians gather at Gallipoli in Turkey each year on this day.
Australia’s involvement in the First World War, and particularly the heavy losses it incurred at Gallipoli, form a key part of the country’s sense of national identity. The states had only joined together in Federation a few years before in 1901, and coming together in conflict made many people really feel conscious of being Australian. Large numbers of British soldiers died at Gallipoli too, but for Australia and New Zealand the numbers were particularly significant in relation to their populations at the time.
I have observed in my travels around Australia that, as in the UK, most country towns have a war-memorial commemorating the tragic loss of life in the First World War and subsequent conflicts. All over the country, these memorials will have been the scene of dignified and respectful ANZAC day services.