World War 1 ANZAC Project
A guide to assist Year 9 Humanities students investigate the life and service of a Guildford Grammar School ANZAC and explore the broader social and economic impacts of World War I.
Anzac Day
- Australian War Memorial. (2023, March 6). The Anzac Day tradition. https://www.awm.gov.au/commemoration/anzac-day/traditionsAnzac Day, 25 April, is one of Australia’s most important national occasions. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War.
- Department of Veterans' Affairs. (2025, March 7). Anzac Day 25 April. https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/commemoration/days/anzac-dayAustralians commemorate Anzac Day on 25 April every year. This is the anniversary of the day when Australian and New Zealand soldiers landed on Gallipoli in 1915 as part of the Allies' invasion. Anzac Day draws large crowds of people to the dawn services, and marches are held around the country.
- Australian Army. (n.d.). Anzac Day. https://www.army.gov.au/about-us/history-and-research/traditions/anzac-dayAnzac Day falls on the 25th of April each year. The 25th of April was officially named Anzac Day in 1916.
Anzac Day
Anzac Day [TV series episode]. (2024). In, BTN Newsbreak. Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Behind the News: Anzac Day [TV series episode]. (2022). In, Behind the News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Remembrance Day
- Australian War Memorial. (2020, April 17). Origins of Remembrance Day. https://www.awm.gov.au/commemoration/remembrance-day/traditionsAt 11 am on 11 November 1918 the guns on the Western Front fell silent after more than four years of continuous warfare. The allied armies had driven the German invaders back, having inflicted heavy defeats upon them over the preceding four months. In November the Germans called for an armistice (suspension of fighting) in order to secure a peace settlement. They accepted allied terms that amounted to unconditional surrender.
- Department of Veterans' Affairs. (2025, March 5). Remembrance Day 11 November. https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/commemoration/days/remembrance-dayRemembrance Day is one of the most important days on our commemorative calendar. It's a day when we acknowledge those who died or suffered while serving in wars, conflicts and peace operations.
- Australian Army. (n.d.). Remembrance Day. https://www.army.gov.au/about-us/history-and-research/traditions/remembrance-dayOn the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, a minute’s silence is observed and dedicated to those soldiers who died fighting to protect the nation.
WW1 Indigenous Soldier Remembered on Remembrance Day
ABC Australia. (2020, April 17). WW1 Indigenous soldier remembered on Remembrance Day | ABC Australia [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSuVA992WzA
The Anzac Legend
National Museum of Australia. (2018, January 25). 12. The Anzac legend [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gps1I7Yr_1c
Anzac Legend
- Australian War Memorial. (2023, October 31). Anzac spirit. https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/anzac/spiritThe word “Anzac” has been a part of Australian thought, language, and life since 25 April 1915. Devised by a signaler in Egypt as a useful acronym for “Australian and New Zealand Army Corps,” it quickly became a word with many uses and meanings.
- Department of Veterans' Affairs. (2025, March 5). The Anzac legend. https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/personnel/anzac-legendThe Anzacs on Gallipoli helped shape the Australian story. Once used to refer to those who fought in World War I, 'Anzac' now represents all men and women who serve Australia. The term also expresses the characteristics that are seen as Australian.
- Crotty, M. & Holbrook, C. (2020, December 7). The Anzac legend has blinded Australia to its war atrocities. It’s time for a reckoning. https://theconversation.com/the-anzac-legend-has-blinded-australia-to-its-war-atrocities-its-time-for-a-reckoning-151022For years, Australians have faced a steady stream of investigative media reports about atrocities allegedly committed by the country’s most elite soldiers in Afghanistan. Yet, nothing could have prepared the nation for the breathtaking contents of the landmark report by Major General Paul Brereton into the actions of special forces, released last month after a four-year investigation. The reaction across Australia was one of horror and disbelief.
- Is the ANZAC legend used for all the wrong reasons? (2019, April 2). https://news.flinders.edu.au/blog/2019/04/02/is-the-anzac-legend-misrepresented-for-all-the-wrong-reasons/ANZAC day commemorations in Gallipoli and Northern France are only weeks away and continue to hold a special place in the psyche of Australians, with thousands expected to travel abroad again this year. But Australians would be shocked to learn how the government and Department of Veterans’ Affairs have reshaped history at these memorial sites, to present a glorified and self-centred version of the First World War which serves political and commercial agendas, according to a new book.
- Yat-sen Li, J. (2023, April 24). The Anzac legend belongs to all of us, not just white Australia. https://www.smh.com.au/national/the-anzac-legend-belongs-to-all-of-us-not-just-white-australia-20230419-p5d1ku.html?js-chunk-not-found-refresh=trueAustralia’s cherished Anzac tradition has often been told as a white Australian story. The true picture, however, is more nuanced and colourful than we’ve long been led to believe.
- Kent, D. (1996). Bean's 'Anzac' and the making of the Anzac legend. Kunapipi, 18(2). https://ro.uow.edu.au/articles/journal_contribution/Bean_s_Anzac_and_the_Making_of_the_Anzac_Legend/27675741?file=50405883If asked to decide which was the more significant festival, 'Australia Day' or 'Anzac Day', the majority of Australians would ignore the ostensible national celebration for the commemoration of a bloody failure. The Anzac legend which developed around the deeds of Australian soldiers at Gallipoli and on the Western Front has long been a focal point of Australian nationalism. (Download article.)
- Daley, P. (2018, December 10). The moment that forever changed my perspective on Anzac mythology. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/postcolonial-blog/2018/dec/10/the-moment-that-forever-changed-my-perspective-on-anzac-mythologyThe Surafend massacre shows that the core business of good history must always be the preservation of memory.
Common Anzac Myths Put to the Test
ABC News (Australia). (2014, April 25). Fact or fiction: Common Anzac myths put to the test [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UTtik3cBP4
SBS The Feed
SBS The Feed. (2015, April 22). Where does the Anzac myth come from? I The Feed [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUj2Hd5mO0g