Commemoration in Australia: A memory orgy?

Staging Loss

“…The idea of 'commemoration fatigue' was also introduced in the Australian Journal of Political Science by Joan Beaumont in 2015 to describe Australia's commemoration of World War One. She claimed that, 'the commemorations in 2014-15 triggered some debate about the commodification of the memory of war and the possibility of commemoration fatigue' (Beaumont 2015). Nevertheless, small-and large-scale commemorations of events and battles throughout the First World War (Passchendaele, the Somme and Gallipoli as the most obvious examples) continue as we approach the anniversary of the Armistice itself, and each appears wracked with concern about how best to reflect upon the significant losses on both sides.…”

Remembering Gallipoli: Anzac, the Great War and Australian Memory Politics

“…50 While these were record numbers for the service, Beaumont points out that this constituted a fraction more than 1 per cent of the Australian population, suggesting less than universal embrace of the key rituals and commemoration activities of Anzac Day among the broader Australian population. As Joan Beaumont notes, over 1,000 centenary grants had been allocated for activities such as upgrading local war memorials and renewing avenues of honour, while some 275,000 people across Australia took part in dawn services on Anzac Day itself.…”

“…Some 42,000 Australians applied, with priority given to widows of Gallipoli veterans, then (in descending order) school children, descendants of those involved in the Gallipoli campaign, war veterans and the general public. 45 Prime Minister Abbott attended and spoke at the event, reminding Australians that Gallipoli veterans were "the founding heroes of modern Australia […] emblematic of the nation we thought we were". He went on to note that "the Anzacs represented Australians at our best".…”

“…As Joan Beaumont notes, over 1,000 centenary grants had been allocated for activities such as upgrading local war memorials and renewing avenues of honour, while some 275,000 people across Australia took part in dawn services on Anzac Day itself. 50 While these were record numbers for the service, Beaumont points out that this constituted a fraction more than 1 per cent of the Australian population, suggesting less than universal embrace of the key rituals and commemoration activities of Anzac Day among the broader Australian population. 51 There was also contestation and controversy over the Anzac centenary, though the key controversies were telling for what they revealed about the power and cultural authority of the Anzac myth in Australia.…”

Remembrance of Things Past: Historical Commemoration in an Educational Setting

“…She spoke without irony, yet it was in part the "ideological vacuum" (Bendle, 2015) at the heart of that celebration that made it clear, once and presumably for all, that Anzac Day was a less complicated and infinitely less divisive choice as a national day. Though the campaign against the Turks on Gallipoli which commenced for Australians on April 25, 1915, was ultimately a failure, it maintains a hold on the national consciousness that shows no signs of abating (Beaumont, 2015;Donoghue & Tranter, 2015). Early commemorations could hardly ignore that the nation had fought in support of King and Empire, yet over time it increasingly became a celebration of Australian manliness grounded in the discovery of an imagined national character (Fischer, 2012).…”