Anzac has become the spiritual core of what it means to be Australian but what of the spiritual core of the Anzacs themselves?

Explore in this presentation the diaries and letters of more than 1000 soldiers of the First Australian Imperial Force. What do they reveal about matters of the soul and engagement with God, religion and the human spirit?

Featuring: Daniel Reynaud, Associate Professor of History, School of Humanities and Creative Arts, Avondale College of Higher Education.

A free presentation by Avondale Libraries and Friends of the Library in conjunction with Lake Macquarie U3A (University of the Third Age).

Afternoon tea provided.

Biography

Daniel’s main research interests lie in the challenging aspects of Anzac mythology, especially in cinema and on religion, where the notion of the secularity of the Anzacs has reached dogmatic proportions. His most recent book, Anzac Spirituality: The First AIF Soldiers Speak (Australian Scholarly Publishing, 2018) explores the spiritual beliefs and experiences of the Anzacs largely through their own words. Previous publications include Celluloid Anzacs (Australian Scholarly Publishing, 2007) and The Man the Anzacs Revered: William “Fighting Mac” McKenzie (Signs Publishing, 2015). Daniel has written, and appeared in, seven documentaries about the Anzacs and religion. He has also worked with the National Film and Sound Archive in the recovery and partial reconstruction of several silent films, including The Hero of the Dardanelles (1915), Australia’s first Gallipoli movie.