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| Centenary of ANZAC | |
|---|---|
| Name | Centenary of ANZAC |
| Caption | Dawn service at Exeter, 2015 |
| Start | 2014 |
| End | 2018 |
| Significance | Commemoration of the 100th anniversaries of ANZAC campaigns, including Gallipoli Campaign, Western Front, and related battles |
Centenary of ANZAC was the four‑year programme commemorating the 100th anniversaries of Australia and New Zealand Army Corps operations from 2014 to 2018. The programme coordinated national and international observances of events such as the Gallipoli Campaign, the Battle of the Somme, the Battle of Fromelles, and the Battle of Passchendaele, engaging veterans, descendants, politicians and cultural institutions. It influenced public memory via exhibitions, ceremonies, educational initiatives and heritage projects across Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, and battlefields in France, Belgium and elsewhere.
The commemorations marked the centenaries of key World War I episodes including ANZAC Day origins at Gallipoli, where troops from Australian Imperial Force and New Zealand Expeditionary Force landed on 25 April 1915. Preceding the programme were anniversaries such as the centenary of the outbreak of World War I in 2014 and the 100th anniversaries of battles on the Western Front including Pozières, Bullecourt, and Amiens. National remembrance traditions tied to institutions like the Australian War Memorial, the Auckland War Memorial Museum, and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission shaped planning. Political leaders including Tony Abbott, John Key, Malcolm Turnbull, Julia Gillard, and international figures such as Türkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan engaged in diplomatic dimensions of commemoration.
National coordinating bodies included the Department of Veterans' Affairs (Australia), NZ Defence Force, and the Department of Internal Affairs (New Zealand), working with statutory agencies like the Australian War Memorial and the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Advisory groups involved historians from Australian National University, University of Melbourne, University of Otago, curators from the Imperial War Museums, and representatives from veterans' organisations such as the Returned and Services League of Australia and the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association. International cooperation incorporated the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and foreign ministries from France, Belgium, Turkey, United Kingdom, and Canada. Funding and governance intersected with heritage bodies like Heritage New Zealand, grant programmes administered by Arts Victoria and partnerships with cultural institutions such as the National Library of Australia and the Te Papa Tongarewa.
Major national events included expanded ANZAC Day services in Canberra, Sydney, Auckland, and regionally in Wellington and Melbourne. Overseas observances ranged from dawn services at Anzac Cove and commemorations at the Helles Memorial to battlefield ceremonies at Thiepval Memorial, Ypres (Ieper), Messines, and Villers-Bretonneux. Visiting delegations featured monarchs and heads of state including Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry, and delegations from France and Belgium. Cultural events involved exhibitions at the Australian War Memorial, the Imperial War Museum, touring displays from the National Archives of Australia, and performing arts projects staged at venues like the Sydney Opera House and Aotea Centre.
Commemorative infrastructure projects included enhancements to the Australian War Memorial grounds, the establishment of new memorials such as the ANZAC Centenary Memorial initiatives in regional towns, and restoration of battlefield cemeteries maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Public participation featured community dawn services, school marches, and veteran-led activities organised by the Returned and Services League of Australia and the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association. Ceremonial elements incorporated liturgies from faith institutions including the Anglican Church of Australia, the Catholic Church in New Zealand, and interfaith delegations. High-profile ceremonies often involved military bands such as the Royal Australian Navy Band and honours from military units including the 1st Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment and the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment.
Education initiatives connected curriculum development in state authorities like the Victorian Department of Education and Training and national curricula overseen by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority with resources from the National Archives of Australia and the Alexander Turnbull Library. Cultural programming encompassed touring exhibitions, oral history projects coordinated with the National Film and Sound Archive, theatrical works by companies such as Black Swan State Theatre Company, and digital projects created by universities including Deakin University and University of Queensland. Publishing and media involvement included documentaries produced by ABC Television, features in The Sydney Morning Herald, and scholarly output from presses like ANU Press and Otago University Press.
Debates arose over tone, funding and historical interpretation, with critics from academic circles including scholars at Monash University and commentators in The Guardian (Australia) questioning aspects of commemoration. Controversies concerned commercialisation, the role of the Australian Defence Force in ceremonies, repatriation and handling of artefacts involving institutions like the Australian War Memorial, and diplomatic sensitivities in relations with Turkey over access to Anzac Cove. Public disputes also focused on inclusivity for groups such as Indigenous Australians represented by organisations like Reconciliation Australia and the recognition of non‑ANZAC units from India, Fiji, and Samoa who served under imperial structures.
The centenary period shaped public memory and national identity by reinforcing narratives promoted by institutions including the Australian War Memorial and the Auckland War Memorial Museum, while stimulating critical historiography from researchers at University of Sydney, Massey University, and University of Canterbury. It affected heritage tourism in sites such as Villers-Bretonneux and Anzac Cove, influenced commemorative policy in state parliaments like the Parliament of Australia and the New Zealand Parliament, and left enduring educational resources in archives preserved by the National Library of Australia and the Alexander Turnbull Library. The legacy prompted ongoing dialogues about sacrifice, historical truth, and multicultural remembrance involving civil society actors including Veterans' Affairs Ministers and national cultural institutions.