ANZAC Day
ANZAC Day — 25 April — commemorates New Zealanders killed in war and honours all returned service personnel. It is the anniversary of the landing of Allied forces at Gallipoli in 1915 during World War I, and became an official holiday in 1921.
This page is a guide to ANZAC-related material at your library and links to more information about the history and traditions of ANZAC Day.
The ANZAC poppy
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Red poppies are worn on ANZAC Day as a symbol of remembrance. The poppy was popularised by John McCrae in his poem In Flanders fields.
Read more about Poppy Day, traditionally observed on the Friday before ANZAC Day.
What does ANZAC mean?
ANZAC is an acronym — the first letters of Australian and New Zealand Army Corps — the full name of the fighting force created in December 1914 by when the Australian Imperial Force and New Zealand Expeditionary Force were combined.
ANZAC Day events
- Find ANZAC Day services and events in Christchurch and Canterbury.
ANZAC Day history
Our Oldest Soldier NZ on Screen
In the final weeks of World War I Lawrence ‘Curly’ Blyth helped liberate the strategic French town of Le Quesnoy from German forces, later winning a French Legion of Honour for his efforts. In this 2002 documentary, his grandson David Blyth chronicles the experiences of his grandad, who died in 2001 aged 105.
- ANZAC.govt.nz
- A guide to ANZAC Day for New Zealanders from the Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
- ANZAC Day photos
- View our ANZAC related photos on Flickr.
- ANZAC Day
- Information from the RSA (New Zealand Returned Services Association).
- ANZAC Day
- Information from NZHistory.net.nz including history, traditions, paintings from the National War Art collection, campaign maps, and biographies of a range people who served at Gallipoli.
- ANZAC Day collection
- This collection from NZ On Screen brings together titles covering Kiwis at war.
- ANZAC Day
- List of links from Te Kete Ipurangi The Online Learning Centre.
- Quick facts for kids about ANZAC Day
- Our list of facts for kids.
World War I and Gallipoli resources
- New Zealanders in World War I: Gallipoli — library resources about this battle
- Gallipoli Guide from anzac.govt.nz
- The Gallipoli Campaign — an illustrated essay taken from the Oxford Companion to New Zealand Military History
- More New Zealand at War resources.
- See also our Armistice Day (11 November) page.
