NationStates Jolt Archive

The 25th of April is ANZAC Day (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anzac_day) in Australia & New Zealand.

It is our national day of remembrance for service men & women, and is a public holiday in Australia.

It marks the day of the landings at Gallipoli (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gallipoli) in Turkey in 1915, the first time Australian soldiers had fought in a war as Australians (previously it had been as troops of the Empire, or their respective colonies, Victoria, South Australia, etc).

Remembrance ceremonies are held in towns & cities througout Australia and overseas. The two most important Australian ones outside Australia are probably at ANZAC Cove (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anzac_Cove) in Turkey & Villers-Bretonneux (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villers-Bretonneux) in France.

Our previous government, under John Howard, was very keen on the glorification of the ANZAC spirit and heavily promoted & publicised the "event", very much bringing it to the forefront of our national identity over the last decade or so. To this point in time, our new government, under Kevin Rudd, seems less militaristic than our previous one (eg removal of our troops from Iraq). I will be interested to see what our new government will make of it, and whether it will fade from our national significance as a result.



As a side note, this is where ANZAC biscuits (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANZAC_biscuit) derive their name & they're my favourite biscuits. :)


To show my respect, I will be going along to the MCG, along with 90,000 others, to watch Collingwood beat Essendon in the traditional ANZAC Day clash (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_ANZAC_Day_clash).

lest we forget

Does anyone know where I could procure some anzac biccies from today? Is woolies open?

lest we forget

Does anyone know where I could procure some anzac biccies from today? Is woolies open?
Make your own, they damn easy!
here's a recipe:
http://www.abcteach.com/Australia/biscuits.htm

I went to the dawn service at the local RSL.

...Does anyone know where I could procure some anzac biccies from today? Is woolies open?

Shops can open at 1pm, IIRC, which was about 5 minutes ago.

Make your own, they damn easy!
here's a recipe:
http://www.abcteach.com/Australia/biscuits.htm

mmm.. In the oven now..

Had to substitute honey for golden syrup though... SO i'm not overly sure on how they'll turn out..

One notes that many of those going to the ANZAC Day Clash are going so they can see Collingwood Lose, rather than Essendon win.

Anzac day is always a very special day for me. Last year as a leader at school I laid a wreath at the Cenotaph in Wellington.. This year was a little quieter, but I went to to the tomb for the unknown soldier which was good.
It's such a special day and it's good to see people getting in to it.

Lest we forget.

Yeah I just saw this documentary feature of Gallipoli on SBS, which used letters and diaries of ANZACS and the Turks, it was indeed quite moving, I didn't really know about the completely appalling conditions they actually had to fight in.

All my respect to the ANZAC boys.
They were great.

As every year, I remain politely neutral on the issue.

In reality I don't see the point, but if everyone enjoys it, I'm not the one running around to spoil it.

Many thanks from a Brit.:)

As every year, I remain politely neutral on the issue.

In reality I don't see the point, but if everyone enjoys it, I'm not the one running around to spoil it.
I see Gallipoli as a metaphor for the whole first world war, a completely futile waste of life, which is why it's worth remembering. Anyone who glorifies Gallipoli obviously knows nothing about it.

I see Gallipoli as a metaphor for the whole first world war, a completely futile waste of life, which is why it's worth remembering. Anyone who glorifies Gallipoli obviously knows nothing about it.
Hey, you don't need to tell me. Apparently I have three great-granduncles who were killed in WWI, leaving my great-grandmother as the only child of that particular family. As far as I can see, not a whole lot was achieved by their deaths.

But I still don't get the sort of emotional connection that seems so common here. It's usually not glorifying the war in any way, which is nice, but personally I don't think we need parades to remember something.

I see Gallipoli as a metaphor for the whole first world war, a completely futile waste of life, which is why it's worth remembering. Anyone who glorifies Gallipoli obviously knows nothing about it.

One can glorify the efforts, exertions and sacrifices of the combatent troops without glorifying the campaign, planning, and war at large.

One can glorify the efforts, exertions and sacrifices of the combatent troops without glorifying the campaign, planning, and war at large.

That's what I meant, but that's more a glorification of the human spirit generally than anything else. Gallipoli was practically a sick joke of how much hardship and suffering you can put people through until they break.

That's what I meant, but that's more a glorification of the human spirit generally than anything else. Gallipoli was practically a sick joke of how much hardship and suffering you can put people through until they break.

You must admire the ANZACs for how strong they were. I would say it was one of the most crucial elements in defining our national identity. You look at any war movie and the Australian is always the charming fellow with a knack for annoying authority...

I would also like to point out that it was an Australian General who pretty much won the war... (Look up Monash)

That's what I meant, but that's more a glorification of the human spirit generally than anything else. Gallipoli was practically a sick joke of how much hardship and suffering you can put people through until they break.

Gallipoli was, to my mind, based on a generally correct notion; that the German war effort would be undermined if their Ottoman allies withdrew from the war, and that achieving this would be easier than military victory on the western front. The location of the campaign was wrong, however. Mountainous terrain is far from ideal to advance in, more so given the imbalance between offensive and defensive technology in the Great War.

Most war memorial services and parades amount to celebration of the human spirit and bravery, however.

One notes that many of those going to the ANZAC Day Clash are going so they can see Collingwood Lose, rather than Essendon win.

Shame we spanked them by 73 points then! :)


Go Pies!

Go Pies!
Yeah, just wait until the finals, they'll get the wobbles again.

Yeah, just wait until the finals, they'll get the wobbles again.

I don't think so, we were very strong in the finals last year. Only lost to the eventual premiers by 5 points.

I may not be from down AMZAC way, but I certainly had ya'll in my thoughts today.

They shall grow not old,
As we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them,
Nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun,
And in the morning,
We will remember them.
Lest we forget.

Now when I was a young man I carried me pack
And I lived the free life of the rover.
From the Murray's green basin to the dusty outback,
Well, I waltzed my Matilda all over.
Then in 1915, my country said, "Son,
It's time you stop ramblin', there's work to be done."
So they gave me a tin hat, and they gave me a gun,
And they marched me away to the war.

And the band played "Waltzing Matilda,"
As the ship pulled away from the quay,
And amidst all the cheers, the flag waving, and tears,
We sailed off for Gallipoli.

And how well I remember that terrible day,
How our blood stained the sand and the water;
And of how in that hell that they call Suvla Bay
We were butchered like lambs at the slaughter.
Johnny Turk, he was waitin', he primed himself well;
He showered us with bullets, and he rained us with shell --
And in five minutes flat, he'd blown us all to hell,
Nearly blew us right back to Australia.

But the band played "Waltzing Matilda,"
When we stopped to bury our slain,
Well, we buried ours, and the Turks buried theirs,
Then we started all over again.

And those that were left, well, we tried to survive
In that mad world of blood, death and fire.
And for ten weary weeks I kept myself alive
Though around me the corpses piled higher.
Then a big Turkish shell knocked me arse over head,
And when I woke up in me hospital bed
And saw what it had done, well, I wished I was dead --
Never knew there was worse things than dying.

For I'll go no more "Waltzing Matilda,"
All around the green bush far and free --
To hump tents and pegs, a man needs both legs,
No more "Waltzing Matilda" for me.

So they gathered the crippled, the wounded, the maimed,
And they shipped us back home to Australia.
The armless, the legless, the blind, the insane,
Those proud wounded heroes of Suvla.
And as our ship sailed into Circular Quay,
I looked at the place where me legs used to be,
And thanked Christ there was nobody waiting for me,
To grieve, to mourn and to pity.

But the band played "Waltzing Matilda,"
As they carried us down the gangway,
But nobody cheered, they just stood and stared,
Then they turned all their faces away.

And so now every April, I sit on my porch
And I watch the parade pass before me.
And I see my old comrades, how proudly they march,
Reviving old dreams of past glory,
And the old men march slowly, all bones stiff and sore,
They're tired old heroes from a forgotten war
And the young people ask "What are they marching for?"
And I ask meself the same question.

But the band plays "Waltzing Matilda,"
And the old men still answer the call,
But as year follows year, more old men disappear
Someday, no one will march there at all.

Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda.
Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?
And their ghosts may be heard as they march by the billabong,
Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with me?

It's also National Day of Silence. Rememberance and respect to both.