How to find a legend

Avondale historian discusses his work uncovering the lost stories of the Anzacs

It’s not often that we see evangelical religion and Anzac popularity go together—but that’s exactly what we find in the story of Anzac chaplain William McKenzie, says Avondale associate professor Dr Daniel Reynaud. As associate professor of history at Avondale College of Higher Education, Reynaud has worked with It Is Written Oceania over the past three years creating the series “Faith of the Anzacs”. This professional interest grew into a full-length biography of Anzac chaplain William McKenzie, titled The Man the Anzacs Revered, published by Signs Publishing in 2015. He responds to questions from editor Nathan Brown about his passion for the Anzac stories and lessons we can learn from them.

What caught your attention with the story of William McKenzie?
He was obviously such a charismatic, larger-than-life figure, and so hugely popular with the Anzacs. Yet he was also devoutly Christian and strongly evangelistic. It’s not often that we see evangelical religion and Anzac popularity go together. His story was irresistible.

What did your work with It Is Written over the past few years add to this book project?
The It Is Written episodes emerged from the McKenzie research, but filming in Egypt, Gallipoli and France really helped me to grasp the context of the places McKenzie was in during the war. It really is fascinating for example to walk over the battlefield of Lone Pine at Gallipoli, from the remnants of the Australian trenches on the seaward side of the cemetery through to the memorial, where the battle ended.

How do you find the balance between academic history and telling a good story?
I’ve always had a passion for making academically sound information accessible to a general readership. It’s a case of being solid in research but attempting to be engaging in the presentation. I really believe that academia has to find an ordinary voice to share its discoveries with the rest of us, otherwise all that potential wisdom and knowledge gets locked up.

In the context of the Gallipoli centenary, why is this an important Anzac story to be re-told?
This man was once one of the most recognisable Australians. Now hardly anyone has heard of him. The Anzac story is usually presented as if all Anzacs had no time for religion. If we are to understand and memorialise Anzac fully now, Australians in general as well as Christians need to know that Christians and Christianity were active, visible and influential in the Anzac story. McKenzie is the most obvious and most powerful example of this.

What has surprised you most in your research of the Anzacs and their chaplains specifically?
I am discovering that the myth of the secular Anzac is not sustainable. While the majority of Anzacs were secular, there was a strong representation of Christians among them and many chaplains were able to engage the Anzacs in spiritual things. Religion was far from absent among the Anzacs. About one in four of the diaries that I have read makes positive references to religion—that is startlingly high for a secular legend!

Where does music fit into your creative life?
Music is a direct avenue to my soul. I think songs have a way of disarming our defences and speaking powerfully to both our hearts and our heads. My faith is a blend of intellect and emotion, and music best taps into feelings. My song writing and recording is part of exploring and expressing the things that matter the most to me, especially from an emotional aspect.

From the experience of your various writing and creative projects, how can we as a church better engage with and speak to our society and culture?
The key to speaking to someone is to listen first—really listen. When we communicate with others we need to start where they are, not where we are. Too often we rush people to the topic we think is important. Really, we need to spend time finding out where they are. The most effective way to begin is to find some common ground, and from there develop a conversation in genuinely respectful relationship. Typically, however, we want to do all the talking. I’m on a personal journey of discovering that I am most influential when I listen.