National Archives of Australia, Queen Victoria Terrace, Parkes, Canberra, ACT 2600

The 'Anzac Legend' has been the subject of vigorous debate among historians, but there has been insufficient attention given to the highly contested nature of Anzac from the very beginning of its history.

The labour movement and working-class Australians have been in the forefront of this contention, refusing to allow conservatives to monopolise its cultural and historical meanings. Working-class men comprised the bulk of the First Australian Imperial Force (AIF), and the same class and its institutions were also active in shaping the cultural memory of Australia's wartime experience in the decades that followed. Meanwhile, research on political activism, working life, war and memory, mourning and return have built up an increasingly complex picture of the activities and contributions of working-class and labour movement women.

This conference will bring together research being carried out by scholars working on various aspects of the relationship between the 'Anzac Legend', the labour movement and the working class. The result will be a collection of papers that will be published in a special ‘thematic’ issue of Labour History.

Labour and Anzac Conference Program [PDF 264KB]

Cost: Free - bookings essential
RSVP: frank.bongiorno@anu.edu.au