What is ANZAC day?
In 1916 the first Anzac Day commemorations were held on 25 April. Throughout the remainder of World War One, Anzac Day was used to inspire those at home to support the war. In World War Two, Anzac Day was used to commemorate the lives of Australians who died in that war. In the 1930s the focus shifted from a day of mourning to a day for veterans to commemorate their own service and sacrifice.
Now it is a day of remembrance for those who lost their lives in all the military and peacekeeping operations in which Australia has been involved. Across Australia, in small towns and major cities, services of remembrance are held at dawn – the time of the original Gallipoli landing – and former and current servicemen and servicewomen take part in marches and ceremonies at war memorials. There are also services of remembrance at many places overseas where Australian forces fought in wars.
Yarra Plenty Regional Library has a large collection of books and other items about the ANZACs, the Gallipoli campaign, and the First World War. Here are a few to get you started:
Australians at the Great War 1914-1918 by Peter Burness
Also available as an eBook (Borrow Box).
Australia's contribution to the World War One has become part of the core of its national identity, and this work from the Australian War Memorial's Peter Burness offers a compact, thoroughly illustrated and authoritative survey of the founding of the ANZAC tradition. A testament to the courage of Australians at war, and a guide to Australia's cultural legacy.
Anzac Battlefields on Kanopy Streaming
More than 80 per cent of Australians killed during the First World War lost their lives on the Western Front, where Australian and New Zealand troops were constantly engaged from early 1916 until the Armistice in late 1918. This five-part series explores the stories of the ANZACs on the Western Front, from their first engagement in a small trench raid until their final triumph as an instrumental part of the '100 Day' advance that led to victory.
ANZAC: The Unauthorised Biography by Carolyn Holbrook
Anzac, the Unauthorised Biography provides a much-needed historical perspective on the battle over Anzac. It traces how, since 1915, Australia's memory of the Great War has declined and surged, reflecting the varied and complex history of the Australian nation itself.
Gallipoli by Peter FitzSimons
Also available as eBook (Borrow Box), Audiobook (CD).
The Gallipoli campaign reverberates with importance as the origin and symbol of Australian and New Zealand identity. But the facts of the battle, which was minor against the scale of the First World War, are often forgotten or obscured. Peter FitzSimons, with his trademark vibrancy and expert melding of writing and research, recreates the disaster as experienced by those who endured it or perished in the attempt.
The Art of Sacrifice by George Petrou
Australians from all walks of life have served our nation with gallantry and sacrifice - ordinary people who displayed mateship, resilience and devotion to duty. The Art of Sacrifice captures the spirit of service in a fitting tribute to all Anzacs of every generation. A haunting and poignant collection that connects the past and the present in a unique, powerful, and evocative collection of outstanding portraits.
The Anzac Girls : The Extraordinary Story of our World War I Nurses by Peter Rees
Also available as eAudio (Borrow Box).
By the end of the Great War, forty-five Australian and New Zealand nurses had died on overseas service and over two hundred had been decorated. Using diaries and letters, Peter Rees takes us into the hospital camps and the wards, and the tent surgeries on the edge of some of the most horrific battlefronts of human history. He also allows the friendships and loves of these courageous and compassionate women to shine through and enrich our experience.
And for children wanting to learn about the Anzac story:
Anzac Ted by Belinda Landsberry
Also available on Storybox, read by Mike McLeish
Anzac Ted is the poignant story of a little boy's teddy bear that was passed down to him from his grandfather. Battered, torn, missing an eye and an ear, he might look scary, but he has a great story to tell; for Anzac Ted went to war, keeping soldiers' company and giving them comfort.
A Poppy for Pa by Rebecca Laing Zammit & illustrated by Annelies Billeter
Pa has a lot of great stories to tell, but his greatest story explains why he wears a red poppy. A story about Gallopoli, remembrance and why we say Lest We Forget.
This Old Thing by Cassandra Webb & illustrated by Tony Flowers
When a young boy is asked to bring an object to contribute to his class ANZAC project, he finds all kinds of old things-some wildly exciting, others more confusing. But a faded, forgotten photograph of his great-great-grandfather makes sense of everything...
Anzac Day by Jane Pfeiffer
Anzac Day is a day when people remember all the men and women who have served in the armed forces. Anzac Day also reminds us of our hope for the people of the world to live in peace. Learn all about: The First Anzacs, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Anzacs, the Dawn Service, the Anzac Day March, and more.
Anzac Girl: the war diaries of Alice Ross-King by Kate Simpson & illustrations by Jess Racklyeft
It was 1914 when Sister Alice Ross-King left Australia for the war. Nursing was her passion - all she had ever wanted to do. She served four long years and was brave, humble and endlessly compassionate. Using extracts from Alice's actual diaries kept in the Australian War Memorial, this true story captures the danger, the heartache and the history of the young nurse who would one day become the most decorated woman in Australia.
