100 years of Anzac

Anzac Day on 25 April is a national day of commemoration. It marks the day the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps landed in Gallipoli 1915. Anzac Day commemorations traditionally begin with dawn services around Australia and at important sites across the globe.

It was the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. The campaign dragged on for eight months. At the end of 1915 the allied forces were evacuated after heavy casualties on both sides.

Anzac Day is an occasion to reflect on the complexity and contradiction of war. As Australia remembers the past and contemplates the present, it is also a time to recognise the involvement of indigenous soldiers, the contribution of women in the war and the reality of post-traumatic stress disorder.