This week, we examine how Anzac Day in Australia has become the latest battleground in an escalating culture war, with scenes of booing at Dawn Services during Welcome to Country ceremonies, and the increasing influence of right-wing political groups such as Advance Australia and Fight for Australia. What was once a solemn day of remembrance for the 8,700 Australians who died at Gallipoli is now being reshaped into a platform for political messaging, identity politics and nationalist rhetoric, raising serious questions about the future of one of the nation’s most significant commemorations.
We take a closer look at the role of mining billionaire Gina Rinehart, whose speech on Anzac Day injected talking points on immigration, taxation, and transgender issues into debate – issues far removed from the historical meaning of the Gallipoli campaign. We explore how wealthy power brokers, media influence and political donations are shaping public narratives, and how figures connected to organisations like the Institute of Public Affairs, the Liberal Party, and One Nation are helping redefine Anzac Day as a vehicle for right-wing ideology.
There’s a historical reality of the original Anzacs – largely working-class Australians, many of them union members – challenging the modern appropriation of their legacy by political actors who claim ownership over national identity and patriotism. We reflect on the overlooked contributions of over 1,300 Indigenous Australians who served in World War I, many of whom were denied basic rights at home, and ask what it means when their service is disrespected through political protest and division at commemorative events.
More broadly, we explore how Anzac Day has, over decades, been elevated into an almost untouchable national ritual – one increasingly resistant to critique, yet vulnerable to political capture by the right.
Photograph: Bunurong elder Mark Brown. Image: Ruby Alexander/The Age.
