Macquarie University

ANZAC: Australians at War - MHIS205

The ANZAC Legend has long been at the core of Australian mythology. With 2015 marking the Centenary of the Gallipoli campaign and the birth of this legend, this new unit will explore the impact of armed conflict on Australian national life. As well as tracing the history of the major conflicts that have engaged Australians from before white colonisation to the War on Terror, the course will explore how the experience of war has shaped national identity. Themes will include; the idea of ANZAC and the militarization of Australian History, the 'Australian way of war'; gender, race and ethnicity; relationships with allies and enemies; the homefront; loss, disability and rehabilitation; and other legacies of war and commemoration. A range of sources — from literature to film, from private diaries to official records — will be used to examine these themes. An innovative feature of the on-campus version of the unit will be a collaborative undergraduate research project that will contribute to an exhibition to be held in the Museum of Australian History as one of the University's public contributions to the centenary of ANZAC.