What is Anzac Day: Anzac Day was initially a commemoration of the anniversary of the landing of Australian and New Zealand troops at Gallipoli, Turkey on 25 April in 1915. It is part of our national story.
“Anzac Cove, Gallipoli Peninsula, 1915” (Source: https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/gallipoli-landing )
More recently it has become a day to commemorate all Australians and New Zealanders “who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations” and “the contribution and suffering of all those who have served” (Wikipedia).
Approximately 50,000 Australians and 17,000 New Zealanders served at Gallipoli.
For eight months after the landing on the Gallipoli peninsula at Anzac Cove on 25th April 2015, the Australians advanced no further than the positions they had taken on the first day (although the “August Offensive” did increase the area held … blue on map).
The British and French forces farther south were also unable to break out of their positions. Turkish reinforcements and additional German equipment had led to a stalemate.
In late December 1915 the Anzacs were successfully evacuated with barely any casualties although, of the 8000 estimated to have died at Gallipoli some 2000 died on the first day.
The Gallipoli campaign was a military failure but the characteristics that the Anzacs displayed throughout the campaign – bravery, ingenuity, endurance and mateship – have come to be celebrated as defining characteristics of the Australian personality.
In 2023 there will be an 11 am ANZAC service held inside Fort Queenscliff on the parade ground.
Unfortunately COVID lead to the cancellation of these services in the Queenscliffe Borough until 2021. Even then the local RSL encouraged people not to attend (https://timesnewsgroup.com.au/bellarinetimes/news/queenscliff-anzac-day-veterans ) . Services were held in 2022 and information on the 2023 services in the Borough can be found on the Borough of Queenscliff website at https://www.queenscliffe.vic.gov.au/Things-to-do/Events/Events-calendar/ANZAC-Day-2023 .