How Australia may commemorate the Anzac Centenary



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Community engagement


The Anzac Centenary provides all Australians with the opportunity to remember those who have served in wars, conflicts and peace operations in which Australia has been involved over the past 100 years. As well as remembering those who have served, we also need to remember those who stayed behind: the widows and widowers, the families, the friends and communities who suffered the loss of those who never returned, and supported those who did.

The Community engagement theme encouraged projects and/or activities that acknowledge and inform the local community about Australia’s military legacy, and engage or benefit the community now and in the future. This theme encouraged ideas such as researching how a local veteran has contributed to and shaped the local community; forming local and international community exchange relationships that acknowledge and share how the local experience of war or peacekeeping may have contributed to the culture and development of each community; and projects that provide everyday reminders for the community, such as funding for a sportsground in the name of a local war hero.

As with the key theme of Education, engaging community members — be they Australians living in cities, regional towns, rural or remote areas — provides the opportunity for sharing our knowledge and experiences of war and life on the home front, and passing that knowledge through generations.

The Commission received more than 330 ideas related to the Community engagement theme. They suggested numerous opportunities for all Australians to be engaged in commemorating the Anzac Centenary.

Ideas generated by the community and discussed by the Commission included:


  • providing opportunities for and making resources available to smaller communities so that they may create their own centenary programs

  • producing mementos such as coins and stamps for schoolchildren and the general public

  • documenting collections of military objects and items in smaller regional towns and encouraging Australians to share them with their communities

  • creating a centenary medal for servicemen and women

  • involving the direct and closely related descendants of the original members of the Anzac forces in commemorative services, both in Australia and overseas

  • developing visual art exhibitions and competitions involving the creation and/or exhibition of art exploring war, peace and the impact of war on Australia and Australians

  • providing assistance to war widow, ex-service and community associations to better engage or re-engage members of their local communities in activities for the centenary

  • creating theatre and dance productions exploring wars and conflicts

  • creating song/music compilations exploring wars and conflicts

  • developing sporting fixtures — some submissions suggested holding competitions in various sports between Australia, New Zealand, Turkey and other nations involved in campaigns in which Australians have served

  • staging re-enactments of major events in our military history, domestically and at battle sites overseas.

Research by Colmar Brunton identified a common theme that expressed the need for people outside of capital cities to be provided with ways to engage in the centenary, to have a local focus for commemorations and to be left with a lasting legacy from the centenary activities. It was proposed that communities may be engaged in activities centred on refurbishing existing war memorials, honour rolls and avenues of honour. The Commission agrees that these types of activities would provide opportunities for communities to not only come together to restore and enhance memorials, leaving them as a legacy for future generations, but to discover the stories and personal histories that played a part in the development of their communities.

In addition to the restoration of local memorials, the Commission also acknowledges that war graves, official commemorations and Australian war memorials overseas will need to be rebuilt, refurbished or enhanced to ensure that the sacrifice of the servicemen and women of the First World War is appropriately commemorated.

Through the development of some, if not all, of these ideas, which draw on international, national, state, regional and local projects and activities, the Commission believes that the community will be given the opportunity to be involved in Anzac Centenary commemorations. The Committee noted that many of the proposed activities or projects may be assisted through the proposed funding grants detailed elsewhere in this report.

Support and collaboration


The Anzac Centenary will provide Australians with the opportunity to engage across the Australian Government and state and territory governments, across international borders and with corporate Australia.

The initial call for public submissions detailed International relations and cooperation as one of the main themes for the submission process. In discussing the submissions that were received and through consultation with key stakeholders, the Commission acknowledged that this theme had the potential to be expanded to include not only the possibilities for international relations and cooperation, but also the possibilities for partnership between governments and with the corporate sector.

While the Community engagement theme focuses on the development of activities and initiatives that aim to engage the general Australian community in the Anzac Centenary, Support and collaboration looks to how other major stakeholders, such as the Australian Government and state and territory governments, international partners and corporate Australia, may be best engaged in order to collaborate on the development of the Anzac Centenary program.

International collaboration


The centenary of the First World War will not only be marked as a significant commemorative period for Australia, but also for the many other countries involved in the war. In order to gain an understanding of what initiatives and activities other countries are considering to commemorate the centenary, the Commission met with ambassadors and high commissioners to Australia from the United Kingdom, New Zealand, France, Belgium, Canada and Turkey. The Commission also identified a range of other countries that should also be included in future discussions, including Japan, Papua New Guinea and Ireland. Although a number of other countries may be planning centenary commemorations, for the purpose of this consultation exercise the Commission chose to meet with countries with which Australia is likely to hold joint or significant commemorative events, or which may participate in cultural or commemorative exchanges.

Although many countries acknowledged that they are in the early planning stages for the centenary, the Commission agrees that the ideas and suggestions discussed present significant opportunity for Australia to be involved in initiatives and activities that will promote international collaboration and will provide the Australian community with both educative and engagement opportunities. Ideas discussed included:



  • the development of international exchange programs between Australia and other countries where Australia played a significant role in various battles of the First World War

  • the development of cultural exchange programs, which may include the exchange (on a loan basis) of significant artworks, memorabilia and audio and/or visual recordings from various conflicts

  • the continuation of significant Australian commemorative ceremonies in countries such as Turkey and France

  • the development of interpretive trails in battle areas of significance to the Australian community.

The ideas discussed complemented the ideas received by the Commission through the public submission process, which included:

  • the development of interpretive centres and memorial walks at former battlefields, and the preservation and conservation of relics and artefacts

  • tertiary and school-level academic scholarships, exchange and sister programs with similar institutions or schools in allied and former combatant countries

  • travelling exhibitions or exchanges of wartime art, artefacts and cultural objects

  • building memorials and establishing memorial parks in recognition of service shared between countries

  • conferences, symposiums and seminars at universities or cultural institutions

  • sporting competitions and musical and cultural performances to strengthen the relationships established since the First World War.

The Commission agrees that future development of the centenary program should occur in close collaboration with relevant countries, and the ideas suggested should be developed to ensure international recognition of such a significant centenary. The Commission also suggests that a log of all countries’ commemorative plans be maintained to ensure that collaboration can occur where necessary.

Government collaboration


The Anzac Centenary will be a significant commemorative period, which will include not only Commonwealth led initiatives, but a number of initiatives that will be developed and led by state, territory and local governments. The Commission agrees that it is critical that all relevant governments work together to ensure the successful delivery of the centenary program and to ensure that support is available and collaboration occurs when needed.

With this in mind, the Commission met with representatives from state and territory governments to discuss commemorative activities that may occur or were being considered for the centenary and the potential for state and federal collaboration. Ideas that were discussed included:



  • the development of stamps/postmarks and coins to commemorate the contributions of servicemen and women

  • the creation of school competitions, including writing, visual art and film competitions, that research Australia’s military history

  • the refurbishment of memorials, cenotaphs and avenues of honour

  • the development of virtual museums that document state-based contributions to various conflicts.

In addition to the ideas discussed with state and territory governments, a number of ideas that will require government collaboration were forwarded through the public submission process. Some of the ideas discussed by the Commission were:

  • creating commemorative stamps

  • minting commemorative coins

  • providing subsidised opportunities for schoolchildren to access cultural and military history activities in state capitals

  • ensuring that an inclusive military history of Australia is included in the new National History Curriculum and that schools undertake educational projects throughout the centenary period

  • developing capital works projects in state capitals, including

  • building and redevelopment opportunities for state war memorials and shrines

  • refurbishment/expansion of catafalque mounting areas at significant war memorials

  • holding conferences and symposiums that explore Australia’s military history

  • touring nationally relevant art and object exhibitions

  • digitising government-held military service records and historical documents.

The Commission agrees that the development of some, if not all, of these proposals will require significant collaboration efforts across government. Any future governance arrangements will need to ensure that a mechanism is included to facilitate this type of collaboration appropriately. The Commission also suggests that a full log of each government’s commemorative plans be maintained to ensure that collaboration can occur when necessary.

As the Anzac Centenary is such an important commemorative period in Australia’s history, the Commission agreed that it was essential that a bipartisan program be developed, particularly given that there will be at least two federal elections between 2011 and 2018. In other words, the program will not be ‘owned’ by any one side of the political spectrum. The Commission has met with members of the parliamentary opposition to discuss this approach. Both the current government and the opposition have agreed that they will give full support for a bipartisan program for the centenary.


Corporate collaboration


As discussed in the ‘Funding considerations’ section of this report on page 45, the Commission agrees that, while there will most likely be a taxpayer-funded component for commemorative events and initiatives throughout the Anzac Centenary, it is likely that corporate Australia will be invited and encouraged to contribute to planned events and initiatives via sponsorship arrangements.

Corporate sponsorship has been used successfully during other significant Australian anniversaries, such as the Centenary of Federation in 2001, and will be likely to play a significant role in the Anzac Centenary program. Therefore, the Commission believes that it is essential that strong ties are built with the corporate sector to ensure that appropriate mechanisms to help identify support and collaboration opportunities are developed.




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