Spirit of ANZAC: Centenary Experience

Ballarat is fortunate to be one of the first stops in the nationwide tour of the Spirit of ANZAC travelling exhibition.  The exhibition tells the story of Australia’s involvement in the First World War, and also dedicates one gallery to the history of Australia’s armed forces up to the present day - involved in conflict, peacekeeping, peacemaking, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief around the world.  A key feature of the Experience are the curated ‘local stories’ zones, created in collaboration with local communities; these zones contribute a legacy for each region the exhibition visits.

Spirit of ANZAC is the flagship community project of the Anzac Centenary national programme - it is free to attend, but it is essential to book, as each visit to the Experience is expected to last around 60 minutes after admission. People are advised to arrive promptly at the time specified on tickets to allow enough time for briefing.

 I've just been exploring the website, which is very good, and also very enticing. Spirit of ANZAC features genuine artefacts and historical stories in "a fully immersive space" - I'm looking forward to my visit to the exhibition on Monday.  All the booking information can be found on the website, and a plan of the Experience so you can see what to expect. For schools there is a series of useful teaching kits, and there is a space if you wish to write your own story to commemorate an Australian service man or woman from the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour.

Spirit of ANZAC will be in Bendigo next, in case you miss it here, or it will be in Geelong 2017, after having been all round Australia.

http://www.spiritofanzac.gov.au/

August Offensive at Gallipoli

The August Offensive or also known as the Battle of Sari Bair was the last major attempt made by the allied forces at Gallipoli to break the stalemate that had persisted since the landings in April. The Offensive started on 6 August 1915 and ended on 27 August 1915.  The plan involved a series of attacks being made out of the ANZAC position to secure high points along the Sari Bari Range which was a feature of the Gallipoli Peninsula.  These operations would be supported by several diversionary attacks along the existing ANZAC front line.

Some of the areas where the battles took place include Lone Pine , The Nek, Chunuk Bair, Hill 971.  As well British forces landed at Suvla Bay to establish a base area to sustain the ANZAC position through the coming winter.  The idea was when this base area was secure they would join the main attack. Of course this did not happen as the offensive failed miserably.

 The end result of the offensive was an enlarged prison for which the Allies  paid a high price in men and materials. The appalling nature of the terrain, the complex plan and the overly ambitious objectives set for the already fatigued troops made the ‘fog of war’ a crucial factor. Indeed, the August Offensive clearly demonstrates what happens when an overriding strategic objective does not take into account the tactical difficulties on the ground. 

Map  showing the August Offensive. (www.nzhistory.net.nz)