The Anzac Legacy

            The nation of Australia, authoritatively proclaimed on the 1st of January 1901, would experience a loss of 7,594 servicemen (State Library of Victoria ERGO, 2014) before the country began to see itself as unique and irreplaceable. The legend of the Anzac surfaced from the catastrophic arrival at Gallipoli in the endeavour to gain a foothold on the Turkish peninsula on the April 25th, 1915 (Kelly 2001 p.10). The legend grew not from the campaign of the operation but by the conduct of the men involved in the campaign. This legacy has shaped the nationalistic views of the Australian society, which has played a vital role in the perpetuation of the ANZAC legacy through commemoration, and has lead to a dramatic influx of patriotism within Australia, predominantly impacting upon the younger generations. The Anzac's presented specific attitudes and beliefs when they were fighting on the shores of Gallipoli, these qualities were the first impression that the international community understood of what it means to be "Australian." These ideologies and stereotypes have shaped modern day Australia, ensuring the continuation of the Anzac legacy for centuries to come. .
             It came as no surprise that when Britain declared war on Germany, Australia, a former British colony that still had close ties with Britain (Australian War Memorial, 2014), immediately came to its aid. World War One was the first chance for Australia to create its identity, therefore establishing itself as its own country, with its own beliefs, culture and spirit. The First World War brought the nation of Australia together for the very first time. During the 1910's, individuals all over Australia came together to support one another through the times of burden, arduousness and encumbrance that they were faced with. They were not patriotic towards their British colony of origin or state of residence but instead considered themselves as Australians, who only aspired to achieve a single purpose; to unite as one nation.