100 Years from Gallipoli Poetry Project
The 100 Years from Gallipoli Poetry Project is, in essence, a survey of Australians and New Zealanders who
express their views, ideas and perspectives through poetry.
Such views, ideas and perspectives may be supportive or hostile to the commemoration of either country’s
military activities. They may show indifference or disinterest to such commemorations. Others may
question the relevance of these commemorations to themselves, their family, community or nation.
The main objective of my 100 Years from Gallipoli Poetry Project is to provide a diversity of views,
perspectives and ideas. This diversity is dependent upon the new and old poems received.
These military activities range from troops from the colony of New South Wales being sent to fight against
the Māori in the mid-1800’s to Afghanistan today.
To date, the collection of older poems from Australia and New Zealand (1830s to 2011) has grown to over
3000. These poems address personal feelings, national identity, politics and just plain good old fashioned
propaganda.
These older poems do show some interesting changes over time in ideas (the importance of "Empire” and
being “British” well into the 20th century) and language (the departure of ‘twixt, ‘twere, ’twas, etc. and
changes in meaning; important for all those gay soldiers in First World War Egypt). Many new poems are
about individuals, be they great grandfathers at Gallipoli or someone’s father serving in Vietnam or son in
Afghanistan.
There are also some significant differences in war memorials. In Australia, I found only two that specifically
mentioned Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander members of the armed services. One was a recent plaque at
Geraldton, Western Australia with the words: In memory of those Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women of the midwest region of
Western Australia who served and died for their country Australia in its hour of need”.
The second was in Herberton, Queensland where the list of seven men who died included “Perrot W
(Aboriginal)”. I have become aware of more such as the one at Burleigh heads, reported in the first edition
of Koori Mail of 1991.
In New Zealand, there are memorials to Māori leaders (usually those who sided with the British) as well as
to various battles of the New Zealand Wars (or Māori Wars as recorded on some Australian war
memorials). For more recent conflicts, Māori names are readily identified amongst those listed on war
memorials and Rolls of Honor together with Māori inscriptions on quite a number of memorials. War
memorials to the Māori Battalion are found across the country.
The role of Māori people is obvious and that of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders is well hidden.
Further information can be found at:
http://www.ozzywriters.com/index.php/100-years-from-gallipoli
Submissions to 100 Years from Gallipoli Poetry Project and entries to its Prize close on Remembrance Day
11th November 2013.
Language of War Exhibition
This exhibition features the works of 17 Tasmanian poets, from those well known in the literary world to
others whose poetry is known to family and friends. The poems are illustrated with photographs of war
memorials from around Australia.
The exhibition has been and will continue to be ‘on show’ at various location around Tasmania. It is hoped
that the exhibition will travel to other States and Territories over the next few years. Any enquiries are
welcome.
Some of the items from the exhibition are at:
http://www.ozzywriters.com/index.php/exhibitions/language-of-war
Behind every war there are good women Exhibition
Australian and New Zealand female poets were asked to respond to the proposition that Behind every war
there are good women. While the interpretation was up to individual poets the principal aim of the
exhibition is to present a diversity of views, ideas and perspectives.
The emphasis is on the commemorations or anniversaries of such events, the emotions these evoke and
the part they play in today’s society rather than on these military conflicts per se. Conflicts range from the
New Zealand Wars in the 1840s and 1860s to today’s in Afghanistan.
The Exhibition features poems by Australian and New Zealand female writers. Fourteen are from across
Australia and eight from New Zealand. They range from well known poets to others who write poetry read
by family and friends.
The poems are paired with photographs of Australian or New Zealand war memorials. Two posters included
in the Exhibition were designed by Tasmanian artist Tara Badcock.
Topics range from a mother’s feelings about her son serving in Afghanistan to, despite the First World War,
women still had other battles to fight. There is a poem about protesting against the Vietnam War with
another inspired by the actions of one of Australia’s great women’s organisation, the Country Women’s
Association.
The Exhibition will commence its journey around Tasmania in Burnie in April and then various locations
across the State including Launceston in mid-September to mid-October to coincide with the Tasmanian
Poetry Festival.
A duplicate Exhibition will be in New Zealand. Touring arrangements for the coming years including the
centenary of ANZAC Day in 2015 are in progress.
Images from the exhibition can be found at:
http://www.ozzywriters.com/index.php/exhibitions/behind-every-war-there-are-good-women-gallery
In Australia, information about the Exhibition can be obtained from the 100 Years from Gallipoli Poetry
Project – [email protected]