SBS Kurdish speaks to the State Library's WWI expert Elise Edmonds about this year’s ANZAC Day.
For the first time in almost 90 years, Anzac Day marches and commemorative services will not take place in public this year due to coronavirus lockdowns. Instead, people are being encouraged to mark ANZAC Day by standing on their driveways at 6am for a combined dawn service.
According to the State Library's Elise Edmonds, the State Library wants your photographs of your 'driveway commemorations' for the historic record.
The State Library has been collecting war-related diaries, letters, drawings, photographs, objects and ephemeral material (eg. postcards) since 1919. Most recently, the Library acquired a stunning photographic collection of Sydney-based photographer Ian Lever which captures three decades of veterans and spectators at Sydney's Anzac Day marches.
State Library's expert on WW1 Elise Edmonds Source: Supplied
"The coronavirus pandemic is clearly one of the most significant moments that our country has ever gone through. We want to document how the people of New South Wales are commemorating one of Australia’s most important national occasions within the current isolation restrictions", says Elise.
The State Library is asking people to take a photo of how they're marking Anzac Day at home, whether that be lighting a candle for the online dawn service, listening to the Last Post at the end of their driveway or playing two-up in their backyards. Then, post your photo on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #NSWathome as well as #Anzacathome.
Photos posted with the hashtag #NSWatHome will be displayed on the Library's website. They will also be collected by the Library using our Social Media Archive.
Elise Edmonds has expertise in the following areas, First World War, Historic maps and mapping and Australian history.
