The first Anzac Day and my family connection

It’s more than a hundred years since the Anzacs stepped ashore at Gallipoli and it’s anniversary on April 25th remains one of the most significant dates on the Australian calendar.

I remember as a child in the 1970’s watching the march on the ABC every year with my Dad. He’d served in WW2 along with his brother Jack (who was killed when his plane was shot down over Koepang) and his father, my grandfather served in the Lighthorse in WW1. Dad never told me anything about his war experience – I imagine his own father hadn’t shared any of his either – but I knew, even as a little kid, that Anzac Day was important to Dad. He and I watched the march from start to finish religiously, every April 25th and yet he never marched – to the best of my knowledge anyway and certainly not in my lifetime.

It was in 1916, only twelve months after the landing that the first commemorations took place. State governments in Australia independently organised their own events and services – the federal government gave the day it’s official title but it wasn’t until the late 20’s that Anzac Day became a nation public holiday. In Sydney, a motorcade procession of soldiers wounded and returned home along with their nurses took place. In London on April 25 1916 two thousand Australian and New Zealander soldiers marched down Whitehall towards Westminster Abbey, cheered on by large crowds prompting a London newspaper to dub them ‘the knights of Gallipoli’. A sports day was organised by the AIF for troops encamped in Egypt.

Anzac Day in London 1916

Clearly, the governments and people of Australia identified April 25th as a day of national significance from the first and over a hundred years later it remains so.

I never met my Uncle Jack or my grandfather, he too died before I was born. Given their reluctance to talk about their war experiences I imagine they’d say we should probably just forget about all that, but deep down I think they’d be proud their mates are remembered and I reckon Dad would say the same. In any case, I’ll be watching the march again next year.

- Geoff