The G Word: Australian reactions to Gallipoli

Updated

The word Gallipoli is often tied to concepts of mateship, heroism and nationhood. But what does the Anzac story really mean to Australians today?

We showed 16 people videos related to Gallipoli and filmed their responses.

Watch Introduction Video

The Reactions

Explore the reactions. Select a video below.

The Gallipoli myth

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"It kind of sticks with you for life - even watching it just then."

Alcohol and Anzacs

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"Drinking is a big part of soldiering. That's the reality of it."

'It was an invasion'

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"As an Australian it's not what we want to hear."

Aussies and Turks

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"It's hard to hate somebody you've never really met."

Marking Anzac day

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"I'm not really sure what that's got to do with modern Anzac Day."

Your Reaction

What does the word Gallipoli mean to you? Share your thoughts using the hashtag #theGword.

Meet the Participants

Able Seaman Andrew Praeger

Andrew, a submariner, joined the Royal Australian Navy in 2010. He previously worked as a scuba instructor and has a young family.

Anna Ruddell

Anna is in year 11 at Brisbane Girls Grammar School and going to Gallipoli for Anzac Day as part of the Queensland Premier's Anzac Prize. Her great-great uncle served at Gallipoli, then the Western Front.

Baris Yildirim

Baris is an Ahiskan Turk who grew up at Gallipoli and his family still has a holiday home there. He has been studying for a PhD at the University of Queensland for two years.

Sue-Ellen Kusher

Sue-Ellen works in corporate personal development. Her great-grandfather served in WWI and never talked about it.

Alex Bock

Alex is a tattooist specialising in neo-traditional tattooing. Originally a spray painter, Alex turned to tattooing after being given a machine for his birthday.

Robyn Hamilton

Robyn is a content curator at the State Library of Queensland working with WWI material as part of QANZAC100. Two of her great-grandfathers and a great-uncle served in WWI.

Keva Culkin

Keva is 10 and a school captain at Ironside State School in Brisbane. She wants to be a game show host or an animated movie producer.

Leading Seaman Karen Dwyer

Karen joined the Royal Australian Navy as a linguist in 2006 after working as a governess on a remote cattle station and teaching in China. She speaks Indonesian, French and Chinese.

Milton Walit

Milton, originally from Saibai Island in Torres Strait, is secretary of the Laidley Historical Society and previously served two years in the Australian Army.

Hollie Taylor

Hollie will visit Gallipoli for the dawn service on Anzac Day 2015. She trekked Kokoda when she was 14, and was given replicas of her grandfather's WWI medals for her 18th birthday.

Trooper Luke Miles

Luke has been in the Army for four-and-a-half years and serves in the 7th Brigade, 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment, Queensland Mounted Infantry. He is yet to serve abroad.

Akua Afriyie Ahenkorah

Communications professional Akua came to Australia from Ghana 23 years ago. She is a community correspondent with 612 ABC Brisbane and calls herself a "history tragic".

Edward 'Rub' Logan

'Rub', 94, served with the Australian Army in Alamein, Borneo and PNG during World War II. His dad Alfred and two uncles were in the Light Horse and landed at Gallipoli.

Josefine Ganko

Josefine is in Year 12 at Brisbane Girls Grammar School and going to Gallipoli as part of the Queensland Premier's Anzac Prize. Her great-great grandfather Alan Robertson was a dentist at Gallipoli.

Jacob Major

Jacob joined the Army when he was 19, served in Afghanistan in 2012 and left the Army in 2015 to pursue an apprenticeship as a mechanic. His great-great uncle was a bugler with the Light Horse and served at Beersheba.

Pixie Annat

Pixie, 85, worked as a nurse, matron and CEO in a career spanning more than five decades. Her father and uncle served at Gallipoli and the Western Front in WWI.

Where can I find out more?

April 25, 2015 is the 100th anniversary of Australian forces' landing at Gallipoli, a date commemorated each year as Anzac Day.

Gallipoli relived : Follow @ABCNews1915 on Twitter to see 'live' accounts of the Gallipoli landing, 100 years on.

: Follow @ABCNews1915 on Twitter to see 'live' accounts of the Gallipoli landing, 100 years on. Documentary : Explore the Gallipoli: The First Day app and website.

: Explore the Gallipoli: The First Day app and website. Timeline : See how WWI unfolded.

: See how WWI unfolded. Australia Remembers: Explore full coverage of the WWI Centenary.

Credits

Topics: world-war-1, history, australia

First posted