Bianca Downes

“Lest We Forget”
Bianca Downes
(Devonport High School)
“We will remember them.”
How and why have Tasmanians
commemorated the Anzac
experience?
“Those heroes that shed their blood and lost
their lives, you are now lying in the soil of a
friendly country. Therefore, rest in peace.
There is no difference to us between the
‘Johnnies’ and the ‘Mehmets,’ where they lie
side by side here in this country of ours. . .
You, the mothers, who sent your sons from
faraway countries, wipe away your tears; your
sons are now lying in our bosom and are in
peace. After having lost their lives on this land
they have become our sons as well.”
– M. Kemal Ataturk,

“WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.” HOW AND WHY HAVE
TASMANIANS COMMEMORATED THE ANZAC EXPERIENCE?
“Bury the Body – It has served its ends.
Mark the spot, lest ‘on Gallipoli,’
Let it be said he died Oh!
Hearts of friends
If I am worthy, keep my loving memory.” 1
The ANZACs are certainly worthy of our memories. The ANZAC experience is a defining part of our
history. Every community in Tasmania commemorates this on, and leading up to, April 25th with
remembrance marches, services and sporting events. Every school has an annual ANZAC assembly.
Communities have created memorials to remind us. The ANZAC experience brought Australia
together as a nation and gave future generations ideals to strive for.
Respect for the ANZAC experience is evident in that it is a national Public Holiday. At the Premiers’
Conference in Melbourne in 1921 it was agreed that “irrespective of the day it falls, ANZAC Day
should be observed on the 25 th April of each year, and that the holiday should be a uniform one
throughout the States.” 2 The Commonwealth Parliamentary Papers of the 1923 Premiers’
Conference include the following proposal “the morning of the day to be observed by the
holding of religious and memorial services. The afternoon to be devoted to the giving of
suitable addresses and instilling into the minds of children the significance of ANZAC Day.” 3
These traditions continue today. In every community on April 25 th businesses and schools are
closed. Families and individuals attend and participate in dawn services, marches, remembrance
ceremonies and the many other rituals that are a part of this day. Crowds line streets to applaud
those who have participated in conflicts around the world and people take the time to remember
and appreciate our freedom, gained from the sacrifices of others.
The first ANZAC sports day was held in the Australian camp, Egypt in 1916, an opportunity for
soldiers to relax and recuperate. 4 ANZAC Day Sports became a tradition as returned servicemen ran
them for children in their communities. In Latrobe, the Council has reintroduced ANZAC Day Sports.
This aims to retain the tradition and encourage in participating children the development of the
ANZAC ideals of resilience, mateship and striving to do one’s best. Another ANZAC Day sporting
event is the traditional clash between Australian Football League teams Collingwood and Essendon.
The Northern Tasmanian Football League has replicated this. For the last two years Devonport and
East Devonport have played on ANZAC Day, returned servicemen receive free entry as a mark of
respect.

Every school in Tasmania holds an ANZAC assembly for students to pay their respects. Veterans
attend and students participate in organising and running the event. Included are ANZAC Day
rituals such as the Last Post, wreath laying and one minute’s silence. At my primary school,
Spreyton, the assembly is held in the ANZAC garden which features an ANZAC mural painted by
students and a commemorative plaque. The President of the local Returned and Servicemen’s
League (RSL) spoke each year. At my high school this year James Holden, a previous Frank
McDonald Memorial Prize winner, spoke about his trip to Gallipoli. These ceremonies enhance
students’ understanding and respect for the ANZAC experience.
Tasmanian communities feature ANZAC memorials. At Ringarooma in 1918, nine trees were
planted to honour the soldiers that died in WWI. 5 One represented the ANZACs, another, the battle
of Gallipoli. In 2001, the trees were deemed too dangerous to leave standing. The council hired a
sculptor who carved each stump into a memorial for a soldier from the area. The ANZAC tree
features the ANZAC Cross, the Battle of Lone Star and the Australian Flag. The Gallipoli tree
portrays a WWI soldier. At Ulverstone, ANZAC Park is one of the main recreational areas of the
town. The park features gardens named after battles and trees planted as memorials. One of the
trees is an Aleppo Pine; the same as the trees at Lone Pine. These examples clearly demonstrate the
Tasmanian community’s dedication to honouring the ANZAC experience.
Why do young people commemorate the ANZAC experience? Young people do so because many
who served were so young. We admire their strength in enlisting; their resilience and endurance.
We wonder how testing the ordeal was for such young bodies and minds.
“Their uniforms were torn, their knees broken. They had had no water since the morning,
they could talk only in whispers; their eyes were sunken… [Yet] not one had dreamed of
leaving his post.” 6
We question if we, faced with similar circumstances, could find the same qualities in ourselves.
The ANZAC experience created intense national pride for what Australians had achieved. Although
8 709 were killed and 18 235 wounded, it wasn’t seen as a failure. 7 The ANZACs faced war; thick
with suffering, pain and fear with courage, determination and good humour. We admire this. It gave
Australians belief in themselves. Pride united the people of Australia as a nation. In 1915, famous
Australian poet Banjo Patterson wrote to the ANZACs of this:
“The old state jealousies of yore,
Are dead as Pharaoh’s sow,
We’re not State children anymore,
We’re all Australians now!” 8

Personal experiences of war passed down though family stories create a sense of connectedness to
the ANZAC experience. My grandfather tells of his brother, my great‐uncle Arthur Wright, a
prisoner‐of‐war who was shot while escaping across the Rhine to freedom, of my greatgrandmother’s
immense suffering when just one of her three sons returned from war. Such stories
have been told since the ANZAC campaign. The grief endured by our own forebears encourages us
to continue to honour their memory.
The ANZAC experience is a significant chapter in Australian history. It is so symbolic some argue
ANZAC Day should replace Australia Day. 9 The ANZACs are commemorated by Tasmanians on
ANZAC Day and through community memorials; lasting reminders of their sacrifice. Their
contribution shall never be forgotten.
“They shall not grow old, as we who 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.” 10
i
1. Spent, J, Gallipoli 1915, ABC Books, Sydney, April 2002 p.2
2. Commonwealth Parliamentary Papers,1920‐21 No 156, Volume 4, p.2
3. Conference of Commonwealth and State Ministries, Melbourne, May‐June 1923, No 493, p139
4. Australian War Memorial. The ANZAC Day Tradition. Australian War Memorial. [internet] 1997 ‐2007
5. Dorset eCentre. Legerwood Memorial Trees. Tasmanian Communities Online [internet] 2005
6. Bean, C.E.W, Gallipoli 1915. ABC Books, Sydney, April 2002, p.44
7. Returned and Services League Of Australia. “ANZAC Day” [internet] 2001
8. ibid.
9. Rex, J, Anzac Day Is When We Became One, The Advertiser, Adelaide, March 20 th 2007
10. Binyon, L , For The Fallen, 1914

Bibliography
Websites:
ANZAC Day commemoration committee “ANZAC Day” [internet]
h ttp://www.anzacday.org.au/ (Visited 2007, May 26)
ANZAC Day Commemoration Committee “Words Of Remembrance” [internet]
h ttp://www.anzacday.org.au/education/tff/rememwords.html (Visited 2007 May 26)
Australian War Memorial “The Dawn of The Legend” [internet]
h ttp://www.awm.gov.au/dawn/plan/eightmonths.asp (Visited 2007, May 13)
Culture and Recreation Portal, “ANZAC Day”, [internet]
h ttp://www.acn.net.au/articles/anzac/ (Visited 2007, May 13)
Culture and Recreation Portal “The Last Post” [internet]
h ttp://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/anzac/lastpost.htm (Visited 2007, May 13)
State Library South Australia “ South Australians at War” [internet]
h ttp://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/saatwar/collection/transcripts/D7720L_1.htm (Visited 2007, May 23)
The Age Company. “Gallipoli In their Own Words.” [internet]
h ttp://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/04/17/1082140118215.html (Visited 2007, May 21)
Age Company, the “Nation pays Tribute to ANZACS” [internet]
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/teens‐vandalise‐warmemorial/2007/04/25/1177180689958.html?page=3
(Visited 2007, May 13)

Newspapers:
Catchpole,H. “Historic” The Advocate, Monday November 15, 2004
King, J. “The Grand Old Man Of Gallipoli” The Weekend Australian. June 23 -24 200
King, J. Montgomery, B. Stewart, . “The Last Anzac” The Weekend Australian June 23-24 2001
Pink, K. Vowles, G. ‘Century Of Change; Souvenir Edition’ The Advocate. January 1, 2000
Books:
Carthew, N, Voices From The Trenches, New Holland Publishers, Australia, 2002
King, J. and Bowers, M. Gallipoli; A 90 th Anniversary Tribute, Doubleday, Australia, 2005
Lewis,R. and Gurry, T. Australians at War, Secondary schools education resource, Impact printing Ltd.
Melbourne, 2002.
Reid, R. Gallipoli 1915, ABC Books, Sydney, April 2002
DVDs:
Colours of war, The ANZACS, Film Australia, Australia, 2004
Gallipoli, Australian Film Commission, Australia, 1981

Images from cover page:
Frank MacDonald.
Pyke, P. “The Last WW1 veteran dies” Army, The Soldiers Newspapers, (Visited 2007, March 26)