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New South Wales Anzac Centenary

Records of NSW and World War I

Armistice Celebrations, 1918

On the centenary of the Armistice

Liverpool Riot 1916

Soldier mutiny in Sydney

Enemy Aliens in NSW

The treatment of people of enemy-origin

New content – Armistice Celebrations, 1918

In early November 1918, premature celebrations began in Sydney when unconfirmed reports were published of an armistice having been signed between the allies and Germany. Many Government employees left work to join the crowds gathered in the streets, which would become a daily event for almost a week.

Celebrations in 1918 became commemorations the following year, and continue to this day as Remembrance Day. November 11, 2018 marks 100 years since the signing of the armistice which ended hostilities in World War I.

Read more about the Armistice celebrations of 1918.


Captured exhibition: Escape from an internment camp

The NSW State Archives (now closed) exhibition, Captured: Portraits of Crime explored the stories of men, women and children who were incarcerated in NSW gaols from 1870 to 1930.

The online catalogue for the exhibition includes the story of Frank Radatz (aka Fritz Georgi), a German-born fitter and convicted thief, who escaped from Holdsworthy Internment Camp in 1916. Radatz was sheltered by the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and was also involved in the notorious Black Hand gang which operated within the Holdsworthy camp.

Read Frank Radatz’s story, and those of many other prisoners.


Windows into Wartime: NOW CLOSED

Windows into Wartime was an exhibition produced by NSW State Archives for the Centenary of Anzac and to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the First World War. The exhibition presents a selection of images produced by the NSW Government Printing Office Photographic Branch during and immediately after the Great War.

An abridged, online, version of the exhibition is available to view here.

 


New content – Amiens Railway Gun at Central Station

Captured by Victorian AIF forces at Amiens, France in August 1918, the railway gun known as ‘Baby Bertha’ was offered to New South Wales as a war trophy due to its standard rail gauge, which was used in the State.

The Amiens Railway Gun was Australia’s largest war trophy from WWI, and was unveiled on 26 March 1920 at Central Station in Sydney.

Read more about the Amiens Railway Gun.


Centenary of the first Anzac Day

Fig 8: Anzac Day 1916 Commemoration Service program

Anzac Day 2016 was the centenary of this commemorative event, now so entrenched in Australian culture. To mark this important milestone we contributed a page on the first Anzac Day, 25 April 1916.

Included in the State Archives is a copy of the commemorative service held in the Domain (pictured left), Sydney, which was attended by more than 50,000 people and 4,000 returned soldiers from the Gallipoli campaign. Read more about the event.


New content – Red Cross

Australian Red Cross Society NSW Division logo. From NRS 12060 [9/4697]letter 15/956.

Within two weeks of the outbreak of World War I the Australian Red Cross Society became established in cities and country towns across Australia.

There are references to the Red Cross and fundraising activities in the NSW State Archives collection, particularly for the New South Wales Division of the society.

Read more about Red Cross records in the Archives.


New content – Enemy Aliens in NSW

This introductory page touches on attitudes of governments and the general public towards people living in New South Wales during World War I who were of German and Austrian heritage, amidst growing anti-German attitudes of wartime Australia.


New content – Battle of Verdun telegrams

This selection of records include telegrams (cablegrams) sent to Premier Holman at his request, to keep him updated on the progress of the battle, despite Australian troops not being involved.


 

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Windows into Wartime: NOW CLOSED

Windows into Wartime is an exhibition produced by State Archives NSW for the Centenary of Anzac and to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the First World War. The exhibition presents a selection of images produced by the NSW Government Printing Office Photographic Branch during and immediately after the Great War.

An online, abridged, version of this exhibition is available to view here.


>> Past events

About this site

About this siteThis website highlights records in our collection relating to World War I based on the themes of: service, remembrance, and the home front.

Read overviews of records associated with war-related topics, use our research guide, and search indexes to learn more about the people of New South Wales and the government that served them during the war.


Our Research Guide

Our Research GuideDeveloped as part of the NSW Government’s Commemoration of the Centenary of Anzac program, our research guide helps identify research pathways for tracing the stories of NSW soldiers and nurses, as well as highlighting a number of resources that provide background information to life on the home front during World War I. Browse stories and records relating to the war, military service, and life on the home front in NSW during World War I.