ANZAC Day disruption lays bare Australia’s selective remembrance

The ANZAC story overlooks the vital contributions of First Nations peoples and diverse global communities that deserve greater recognition, writes Mainul Haque AOM.

THE ANZAC HERITAGE is central to Australia’s national identity but tells only part of the story.

The First Nations peoples of Australia, soldiers and workers from the Indian subcontinent including modern-day India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, African soldiers and Muslim communities affected by the First World War all played vital roles in the war effort, but their contributions remain largely absent from public memory. In a modern, multicultural Australia, this history deserves to be commemorated more fully.

Every year on ANZAC Day, Australians pause to remember those who served in the war, to reflect on their bravery, sacrifice and legacy most closely associated with Gallipoli. It remains one of the most important and emotional moments in the national calendar, shaping how the country understands its past and identity.

But our collective memory still reflects only part of a much larger story. Beyond the familiar narrative of Australian and New Zealand troops lies a wider history of shared service involving people from many parts of the world whose roles are not equally recognised.

The story of ANZAC has been told for generations primarily through the experiences of Australian and New Zealand soldiers. Less frequently acknowledged is that they operated within a large, interconnected war effort that relied on contributions from around the world.

Only in Gallipoli, 15,000 to 16,000 soldiers He served with the British Indian Army from the Indian subcontinent. 1,500 killed. historical records Australian War Memorial And Commonwealth War Graves Commission Highlight the magnitude of this contribution. These soldiers were drawn from across British India, including what is now India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, as well as Gurkha soldiers from Nepal.

These soldiers came from the regions that today form India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, as well as Gurkha troops from Nepal. They represented a remarkable diversity of languages, cultures and beliefs that reflected the complexity of the societies from which they came.

Among them were Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs who served side by side under colonial command structures. Their participation points to both the global scope of the war and the realities of empire, where service was often shaped by circumstances beyond individual control.

An often overlooked feature of these campaigns was the reliance on mule transport. Mules were needed to transport food, ammunition and supplies across the difficult terrain of Gallipoli and other theaters. mule It was supplied through British Army supply networks, including Egypt and India, and constituted a significant part of the supply. battlefield logistics. As documented by the Imperial War Museums, such systems were vital for sustaining front-line operations in difficult terrain.

These animals were operated and managed by mule transport units within the British Indian Army system, composed largely of soldiers and handlers from the Indian subcontinent, working alongside Gurkha soldiers from Nepal. Together they formed the backbone of battlefield supply lines where modern vehicles could not operate.

The extent of his contributions extended far beyond Gallipoli. more than that 1.5 million soldiers and workers from the subcontinent were recruited during World War I, with more than 1.09 million people stationed overseas. Approximately 74,000 people were killed and more than 140,000 were killed. casualties.

Africa’s contributions were also significant in scale, but remain much less visible in public memory. more than that 2 million Africans It was mobilized during the war. Between 500,000 and 600,000 served as soldiers, while more than 1.5 million worked as laborers and porters. Many died of disease, exhaustion and harsh conditions; exceeding predictions 100,000 deaths.

The First World War also had profound consequences for Muslim-majority regions more broadly. collapse Ottoman Empire It marked a major turning point for Muslim communities around the world, reshaping political and social life in the Middle East, South Asia and beyond.

ANZAC legacy of the first Australians

In Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people also served despite facing discrimination in their own countries. Around 1,000 to 1,300 Indigenous men He participated in the First World War and more than 6,000 He served in World War II. On the battlefield, many people experienced a level of equality not available to them in civilian life. But after returning home, most excluded from recognition and veterans’ benefits.

This history continues to resonate today. ANZAC Day events on 25 April 2026 also reminded us that respect for First Nations Australians at national commemorations cannot be taken for granted. Welcome to Country and Acknowledgment of Country ceremonies were held at ANZAC Day ceremonies in 2026, including in Melbourne and Sydney. broke down by booingIt caused widespread concern and public debate.

These moments do not define Australia, but they force us to reflect on how fully we live up to the values of respect and inclusion. As a country, we can and must do better by ensuring that recognition is not selective and that dignity and respect are consistently accorded to First Nations Australians.

When these histories are evaluated together, a clear picture emerges. The war effort that sustained ANZAC operations was global and diverse in nature, but the way it is remembered in Australia is often more limited.

Acknowledging this broad history is not to diminish the sacrifices of Australian and New Zealand soldiers. It’s about completing the story. They served as part of a much larger collective that included soldiers from the Indian subcontinent, African laborers and porters, and many others drawn into war through global and colonial systems.

Mainul Haque OAM is a retired Australian public servant with nearly three decades of experience in government, academia and community leadership.

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