ANZAC Memorial
Published by The Returned Soldiers Association, in Sydney, Australia 25th April 1917
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This deeply moving wartime memorial volume was published in Sydney on Anzac Day 1917 for the benefit of the Returned Soldiers Association of New South Wales. It presents an early, contemporary record of the Gallipoli campaign and its aftermath, beginning with patriotic verse, the Australian Anthem, and photographic portraits of notable figures such as Matron Ida M. Greaves, Royal Red Cross (1st Class). The book outlines the origins and aims of the Returned Soldiers Association—formed in 1915 to support veterans and to preserve the spirit of comradeship forged in the trenches—while the Preface reflects on the Association's early struggles, its hope for national unity, and its duty to honour the fallen. Throughout, the tone is solemn, respectful, and patriotic, capturing the immediacy of wartime memory before the full story of the First World War was yet known.
The heart of the volume lies in its extensive Roll of Honour, listing thousands of soldiers across numerous battalions who were killed, wounded, or missing. Personal stories follow, including letters from the front, eyewitness recollections, and lyrical tributes that bring home the human cost of the campaign with vivid clarity. The inclusion of C. H. Souter's well-known "Toast for Anzac Day" provides a stirring close, reinforcing the book's role as both a memorial and a call to national remembrance. As an early and authentic ANZAC publication—issued only two years after Gallipoli—this 1917 edition holds exceptional appeal for collectors of Australian military history, First World War ephemera, and early ANZAC commemorative works."
