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About Anzac Day

Anzac Day marks the anniversary of the first campaign that led to major casualties for Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War.

The acronym ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, whose soldiers were known as Anzacs. Anzac Day remains one of the most important national occasions of both Australia and New Zealand.

Gallipoli campaign, 1915

Though the Gallipoli campaign failed to achieve its military objectives of knocking the Ottoman Empire out of the war, the actions of the Australian and New Zealand troops during the campaign bequeathed an intangible but powerful legacy. The creation of what became known as an "Anzac legend" became an important part of the national identity in both countries.

The Western Front, 1916 to 1918

After the Gallipoli Campaign, Australian soldiers and airmen fought in each of the major British campaigns on the Western Front. Many battles became household names in Australia: Fromelles, the Somme, Bullecourt, Messines, Passchendaele, Villers-Bretonneux, Hamel, Amiens and Mont St Quentin.