In today’s Age appeared an edited version of Marilyn Lake’s lecture from a free series of lectures at Melbourne University’s School of Historical Studies. Lake is a professor of History at Latrobe University. You can check it out here.

In her lecture Lake questioned the role of the ANZAC legend, and particularly Gallipoli, in forming the ‘creation myth’ of the Australian nation. She points out that in Australia we don’t build memorials to past political and cultural figures (ie. the Washington monument and the Lincoln Memorial) rather we build war memorials and cenotaphs. She states:

Anzac serves as Australia’s creation story: in proving their manhood, Australian men proved our nationhood — a nation was born on that day of death.

The problem with this ANZAC creation myth is that it neglects so much of what made Australia the nation it is. It doesn’t acknowledge the indigenous people, or the colonialist treatment of them. It is patriarchal and violent, young men died to make Australia. What about the women? It promotes a colonial understanding of ourselves. We were fighting England’s (and Europe’s) war. What about the fact that we invaded a country?

Lake goes on to point out that before that fateful day in 1915 Australia had an international reputation as an,

egalitarian democracy and progressive social laboratory, a place that legislated to secure the equal rights of women and men, state pensions for the aged and for invalids, the rights of mothers, the recognition and remuneration of citizen soldiers and citizen mothers, all paid from general revenue. Australia enshrined the idea that workers should enjoy better conditions and be paid a decent living wage. As an advanced social democracy, this country led the world.

I think that Lake makes a very strong argument and I tend to agree with her. Now I am not suggesting that we throw out ANZAC day and forget the sacrifice of those who have gone before us. On the contrary we must remember their sacrifice and learn from it so that hopefully one day we don’t send off a generation (or even a few) young men to die on a foreign battlefield for an insignificant battle in a useless war.

But when we talk of what made Australia, when we share our ‘Creation myths’, we should share more than one. We should talk about Bligh and the rum rebellion. Hume and Hovell, Bass and Flinders, Burke and Wills, Douglas Mawson and all the others of exploring spirit who wandered this land. We should talk of Parkes, Barton and Menzies and the other political figures who shaped our nation. We should share of Macarthur and the other business people who drove the Australian economy. Or talk about Weary Dunlop, Simpson and his donkey and Graeme Clark whose contributions to medicine should be remembered. Of course we remember the many famous sports people and the list goes on. The social reformers and musicians, the authors and the artists.

As important as ANZAC day is, its place in Australian history is just that. A place. The ANZAC legend was built on the mateship, hardwork and egalitarian ethos of an already existent nation. Just perhaps, what it doesn’t tell us about our country is just as important as what it does.