Anzac Day 2018

Australians recognise 25 April as a day of national remembrance. It is a time when we reflect on the many different meanings of war. Yarra Plenty Regional Library is acknowledging Anzac Day through a series of exhibitions and presentations.  Throughout April, Eltham Library are featuring objects from the memorabilia collection of the Eltham Montmorency RSL sub branch.  Watsonia Library has a small display with a nod to the great work our community has done in contributing to the 5000 Poppies Project.  

Whittlesea Library will be hosting Vietnam Veterans and members of the Whittlesea RSL sub branch as they share stories of their experience 50 years ago.  Join them on Monday 16 April at 2.00 pm.  Retired Lieutenant Colonel Peter Gurney will discuss the Origins of the Dawn Service and the importance of this annual tradition of remembering all wars at Eltham Library on Thursday 19 April at 7.00pm.  Local and Family History researchers can receive tips on researching Anzacs on Trove at Mill Park Library, Friday 20 April at 10 am. Dr Janine Rizetti, from Heidelberg Historical Society will discuss the 1917 Conscription Campaign through the eyes of local City of Banyule residents at Rosanna Library on Tuesday 24 April at 2.00 pm.

2018 marks the final year of the Anzac Centenary. State Library Victoria shares Victorian stories via its World War One centenary portal

Check out new reading list for Anzac Day: Vietnam Veterans

Soldier Settlement

The Last Battle by Bruce Scates documents the opportunities offered and in many cases the difficulties faced by returned servicemen following World War One.

Family History Researchers can search their Victorian First World War Soldier settler ancestors at Battle to Farm: WW1 Soldier settlement records in Victoria from Public Records Office of Victoria

The War ended in November 1918.  More than 112,000 Victorian men had enlisted  and 91,000 saw service overseas.  About 17,000 were killed.

In order to repay the sacrifice and help returned servicemen return to domestic life, men were offered to opportunity to farm.  The nationwide Soldier Settlement Scheme was established providing blocks of land on which it was hoped that families could rebuild their lives. Across Australia thousands of returned servicemen took up the challenge and reinvented themselves as farmers.

Letters from World War One come to Yarra Plenty Regional Library

Alice Mills (Photographer) Percival Langford c 1914 University high School, Parkville archvies

To commemorate the centenary of World War One, Yarra Plenty Regional Library in partnership with Nillumbik Shire Council is presenting a touring exhibition from State Library Victoria exploring the personal stories of ordinary Australians told through their own photographs, letters, diaries and writings.

Writing the war: Personal stories from WWI tells the story of Australia’s involvement in WWI seen through the eyes of seven ordinary Australians from very different backgrounds – a teacher, a nurse, a bank clerk, a farmer, a journalist, an artist and an activist. Their personal experiences are conveyed through personal and published writings, photos, drawings and multimedia which take us from Gallipoli to Egypt, Gaza and the Western Front, and capture a diverse range of perspectives.

Some of these writings helped shape public opinion about the war effort, such as Sir Keith Murdoch’s Gallipoli letter or the writing of pacifist Vida Goldstein. Some were never intended to be read in public, like the diaries of George Auchterlonie which remained in his family’s possession for more than 70 years.

The exhibition due to open at Eltham Library Community Gallery on Thursday 4 August and will also feature the Lemnos Gallipoli Photographic Exhibition, memorabilia and personal materials from Eltham Montmorency RSL, the Australian Army Signals Museums and local history groups.

“These diaries and letters of both prominent and ordinary Australians give us an insight into WWI that is immediate and intimate because it is told in their own words,” says Liz Pidgeon Local and Family History Librarian.

Eltham Library Community Gallery is one of twelve regional libraries and galleries across Victoria who will host the exhibition until June 2017.

Writing the war: Personal stories from WWI is a free exhibition at Eltham Library Community Gallery from 4 August 2016 to 29 August 2016.

On Saturday 6 August Yarra Plenty Regional Library is hosting a special event to formally open the exhibition as well as launch their Anzac Centenary book project Fine Spirit & Pluck, which is a poignant collection of local stories from Banyule, Nillumbik and Whittlesea. The anthology helps to connect us to our past and offer a sense of place in the community in which we live, and which exemplify the fine spirit and pluck exhibited by every Australian.

The exhibition is also supported by a number of events in association with Family History month.

Explore more WW1 resources at State Library Victoria Writing the War

The Writing the war exhibition tour is supported by the Victoria Government through Creative Victoria.

11th Battalion A.I.F.

Do you have an ancestor in the 11th Battalion?
Was he in this photo taken on 10 January 1915 at the Cheops Pyramid in Egypt?
The Western Australian Genealogical Society (WAGS) is working on identifying the 703 soldiers in this photo – and have already achieved some success.
For further information visit 11th Battalion A.I.F. Cheops Pyramid

Reserching an Anzac

Military historian Neil C Smith will be a special guest speaker for Diamond Valley’s Family History Fest program this month at Diamond Valley Library:  Researching an Anzac Wednesday April 29 at 1.30 pm.

With over 24 years' Australian army experience, Lieutenant Colonel Neil Smith understands military jargon, abbreviations and the various organisational and recording systems employed by the army, navy and air force.  He is the author of That Elusive Digger. 

Neil’s presentation at the annual State Library of Victoria Family History Feast in 2013 can be accessed on the SLV website.

There has certainly be an update since that time including the development ofDiscovering Anzacs which provides a new gateway to access service records of Australians and New Zealanders who served in world war one. This site also allows researchers to transcribe records, add their stories, including group photos, add relationships and external links.

Researchers may also be interested in this guide Researching your Australian military ancestor

Image: Whittlesea War Memorial

Nunawading WW1 Stories

As part of the Anzac Centenary the Australian Institute of Genealogical Studies is undertaking a project to commemorate the lives of those Australians from the Nunawading area who served in any capacity during World War One.

They are seeking descendants of men from the present day areas of Nunawading, Blackburn, Mitcham and Vermont who served in this conflict and who may have stories and photos they would be willing to share.

A publication is planned to be released in August 2014.

Contact Shirley at aigspublicity@gmail.com

Poppies for Rememberance

As part of the 2015 Anzac Commemoration, the 5000 Poppies project will be “planting” a field of more than 5000 poppies in Federation Square Melbourne as a stunning visual tribute to Australian servicemen and women for more than a century of service in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations.  Over 9000 poppies have in fact been collected to date.

Members of Yarra Plenty Regional Library are asked to contribute to the project by joining a library craft group or dropping in the home made poppies to  any branch library

Poppies can be knitted, crocheted, felted or sewn from any materials. Crafters are encouraged to dedicate their poppy to a member of their family who served in World War One.

Craft patterns and dedication forms can be found on the 5000 Poppies website. 

Poppies will be collected and displayed together with their dedications in libraries for Remembrance Day  November 11 2014 before being contributed to the Anzac Day display in Federation Square in 2015.

The Lost Diggers: a book review

The Lost Diggers

Many serious genealogists would by now have heard about the discovery of the World War 1 collection of photographs of Australian soldiers found in France last year by Channel 7’s Sunday Night program and its journalist Ross Coulthart.

Now a magnificent book has been produced which has documented both the story of the discovery of the hundreds of glass plates amazingly preserved for almost one hundred years, the photographers themselves and the stories of some of the soldiers themselves who have been identified – through a precise procedure itself to ensure no mistakes.

The physicality of the book itself immediately has an impact when you see the book for the first time and I suspect that it is a good emotion to have when you read the amazing story of the “discovery” and the attempts in the past that were ignored to have the collection recognised and brought to light sooner that it was.

The book is of course illustrated throughout with many photos from the collection – there are informal shots of young men, many in the prime of their lives with war in their eyes and mud on their boots.  The author also recounts stories of some of the soldiers who have been researched - and even some who have not.  The book includes a name index only.

To learn more about the discovery now, view Ross Coulthart talking at a recent literary lunch at YouTube

I recommend this book to anyone with the remotest interest in the First World War.   The experience of reading and looking at the photos will stay with you long after you put it down.

The photographs can also be viewed at

www.sundaynight.com.au and on the Lost Diggers site on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lostdiggers and on the Australian War Memorial website

Many are still unidentified, and many of these young men never made it back home – perhaps you can help.

How should we commemorate the Anzac centenary?

Australians across the country are encouraged to share their ideas and suggestions on how the Anzac Centenary should be commemorated at home and around the world.

From 2014 to 2018 marks 100 years since the First World War and Australians are invited to have their say on ways to commemorate the anniversary.

Submissions close on 17 September 2010. To make a submission visit www.anzaccentenary.gov.au.