ANZAC - Australian and New Zealand Army Corps
the soldiers in those forces quickly became known as Anzacs, and the pride they took in that name endures to this day
What does ANZAC mean today?
Australians recognise 25 April as a day of national remembrance, respected through a number of traditional activities. Anzac Day is a time at which Australians reflect on the many different meanings of war.
During the 1920s Anzac Day became established as a national day of commemoration for the more than 60,000 Australians who had died during the war. In 1927, for the first time, every state observed some form of public holiday on Anzac Day. By the mid-1930s all the rituals we now associate with the day – dawn vigils, marches, memorial services, reunions, two-up games – were firmly established as part of Anzac Day culture.
Our publications
Parramatta ANZACS at Gallipoli - Read our feature publication here
When the war was declared in August 1914, Australia sent out the call for volunteers to sign up for the Australian Imperial Forces which were to be sent to Europe and the Middle-East. Thousands of men answered the call; the Parramatta District was no exception in providing substantial troops for the first contingent to leave Australia for the war.
This publication and a range of other World War One Centenary publications are available for purchase at a special price of $2 each - only at the Parramatta Heritage and Visitor Information Centre. View them online here
1914 - 1919 Roll of honor board
This board is dedicated to the enduring memory of the citizens of Parramatta and District who served in the Great War. It features over 750 names inscribed into copper plaques. These plaques, together with the crest of 'The Council of the Municipality of Parramatta' are attached to a moulded copper decorative surround mounted onto a shaped wooden backboard. The honor board was removed from the foyer of the City of Parramatta Town Hall prior to it's restoration in conjunction with the construction of the new civic building at Parramatta Square.
The conservation of the Roll of honor board was undertaken as a project to mark the occasion of Anzac Day 2021. Council engaged Antiquities Conservation Pty Ltd to undertake this specialised conservation process. In summary, this process involved the careful removal of the name plates and the central surround plate from the wooden mount. The discoloured lacquer on the copper was cleaned and then buffed with fine rouge polish followed by a coating of Renaisssance wax, followed by another buff. The wood received a clean and polish with bees wax. The work has been undertaken with great care to retain the integrity of the history of this significant object.
The board is proudly mounted onto the wall above the foyer of the Heritage and Visitor Information Centre.
For local Anzac Day service visit https://www.cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au/anzacday
