Commemorate Anzac Day

Ode

The Ode that is recited on Anzac Day and Remembrance Day is the fourth verse of the poem “For the Fallen” written by the English poet Laurence Binyon in the early days of WWII. It was first published in The Times newspaper on 21 September 1914. 

For the Fallen

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them."

The poem can be found in First World War Poems From the Front by Paul O'Prey, and Imperial War Museum (Great Britain) Staff and is available online. Sign up for free State Library membership to access this ebook.

Learn about Indigenous participants in WWI

State Library of Queensland continues to discover and confirm Queensland Indigenous soldiers’ involvement in WWI. Listen to Des Crump discuss findings from research in 2018 here and discover a hidden history that has concealed these men and women for over one hundred years.

Bake

The tradition of Anzac Biscuits goes back to WWI when they were baked and sent in care packages for soldiers. They are a simple biscuit, made without eggs so they were able to last long journeys overseas. Over the years, the recipe has remained fairly consistent. Originally, they were known by several different names, including Red Cross Biscuits, Soldier Biscuits and Nutties. We found a recipe for Anzac Biscuits in a newspaper article on Trove.

Anzac Biscuits

• Two break- fast-cupfuls John Bull oats, 
• half-cupful sugar, 
• one scant cupful plain flour, 
• half-cupful melted butter.
• Mix one tablespoonful of golden syrup, 
• 2 tablespoonfuls boiling water, 
• and one teaspoonful of soda till they froth; then add the melted butter.
• Mix in dry ingredients and drop in spoonfuls on a floured tray. 
• Bake in a slow oven. 

View recipe

Nutties

A recipe for Nutties can be found in the publication 'Secret Recipes' published by Atlas Press, a Melbourne publishing house. It was part of the 'Veritas Library' series. According to the book, 'The Veritas Library employs Returned Soldiers who, owing to disablements and other causes, are unable to follow their pre-war occupations. Every returned soldier or other salesman who has authority to sell this book, carries a letter of declaration from the Publishers, constituting their authority to sell.'

View recipe

Make

In Australia, the remembrance poppy is worn on both Anzac Day and Remembrance Day. You can make your own poppy and write a message of remembrance on it to honour those who served.

Download this template we have designed.

Play

Two-up was popular with Australian soldiers during WWI and WWII and has become an Anzac Day tradition. The simplicity of the game, requiring only two coins and a patch of reasonably level ground, made it as portable as the troops themselves. During and after the First World War, Two-Up became entangled in the digger legend that began to shape ideas of an Australian national character.

The diggers’ legendary enthusiasm for Two-Up, as well as their disregard for its illegality, was used for promoting a shared ideal about the Australian character that involved mateship, fair play, anti-authoritarianism and resourcefulness in the face of adversity.  The association between Australian diggers and Two-Up was has now become an Anzac Day ritual, with games of two-up played nationwide after Anzac Day memorial services.

And don’t worry, since February 2012, it has been legal to play Two-Up in Queensland RSL clubs.

You can use your smart phone to play a game of Two-Up with your household. Just say, ‘Alexa, let’s play Two Up’ to launch the Two Up Skill and enjoy a few games with your family, partner or housemates. If you don’t already have an Alexa-enabled device, you can still access the service by downloading the Amazon Alexa app onto your smart phone. More information is available on the Alexa Skills page.

Read

The State Library of Queensland’s collections provides members with access to a wide range of resources that explore Australia’s intriguing and unique military history. Sign up to become a member of the State Library and enjoy free access to countless eBooks, blogs, newspaper articles, journals and other resources from the comfort of your home. The Anzac Square team has created lists of eBooks, blogs and personal stories to help you navigate the collections.  The eBook collection related to Australia’s involvement in war can be accessed here.

Personal stories and content found in the Anzac Square Memorial Galleries can be found here.