How Did Culture Shape Australian Identity

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Not only muffled is our tread To cheat the foe, We fear to rouse our honoured dead To hear us go. Sleep sound, old friends- the keenest smart Which, more than failure, wounds the heart, Is thus to leave you- thus to part, Comrades, farewell! As a young citizen of Australia, I often think about my understanding of Australian identity. "ANZAC" is often described as what it "means to be Australian" And as the centenary of the landing at Gallipoli on April 25, 1915 came to a close, I considered how this moment in history has had a significant impact shaping Australia's identity to what it is today. ANZAC day, for me, means freshly baked cookies, red poppies and Mel Gibson's iconic film, Gallipoli. However, as the quote suggests, the reasons we…show more content…
Integrity and sacrifice, as evidenced by ANZAC soldiers who died at Gallipoli, all of whom had volunteered for service. Mate ship and teamwork, seen in the way troops lived and struggled together in training and on the battlefield. Initiative, evidenced by the troops rising to meet situations without waiting for new orders or commands. Courage and perseverance, shown throughout eight long months of bloody fighting on Gallipoli. Dedication to duty, the endurance of those who served through the years of war and by those who volunteered even after the ever-lengthening casualty lists became a regular feature in Australian newspapers. Yes, I said ANZAC Day isn’t about military victory. I’d rather suggest it’s a celebration of a moral victory. The ANZAC legend of which Australian soldiers during World War One delivered to their nation. It is a legend to which every Australian soldier could be called an author, and one that is still being written today on the battlefields of Syra and Afghanistan. ANZAC day has become a growing tradition for Australia and New Zealand, 100 years later. From dawn until dusk one day every year is given to the memory of the ANZACs, to think of them with gratitude and pride. We remember those who fought, who sacrificed, who built the values upon which our nation was

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