The Frank MacDonald Memorial Prize

The Frank MacDonald
Memorial Prize
PowerPoint by Kathryn Willis
Yolla District High School
‘What do you understand by the term “Anzac Spirit?”
How is it being demonstrated today in the Tasmanian
community?’

The Anzac Spirit is in every Australian and New Zealander.
You see it in everyday life. It is what you feel when times in
life are at their worst and you think you can’t go on, then
you get a feeling inside you that makes you say “yes I can”.
It is what the Anzacs felt when they landed on the shore of
Anzac Cove and were faced with towering sheer cliffs with
heavy artillery firing from the cliffs at them. The Anzacs
didn’t stop. They kept on going and conquered the cliffs and
kept on fighting.
“ In drill we stand above all others,
All the Germans and Turks can do their worst,
But there’s nothing will daunt our brave Australians…”1

There are many people from different generations who
are a part of different communities. I wanted to touch
on what they think the term “Anzac Spirit” means to
them and show how they feel the spirit inside them.

The first is Mr Ross Smith. Mr Smith is a part of the Yolla Community. His father
was an Anzac. I wanted to show his thoughts on the ‘Anzac Spirit’.

When a soldier became injured he always reassured his
mates that he was going to be okay. The Anzacs always
saw the good side of any incident.
“… then comes a slow trickle of wounded- some dragging
themselves painfully along; others being carried along on
stretches. Bomb wounds all; a ceaseless, silent stream of bandages
and blood. Yet three out of four of ‘the boys’ have grit left for a
gay smile or a cherry little nod to their comrades…” 2

Second is Mr Nathan Dennis. Mr Dennis is a part of the Education Community. I
wanted to show how he felt the “Anzac Spirit” when he endured his accident.

In the small town of Yolla there are many memorials
for those who went to war.
Even though Yolla has a small population of no more
than a hundred they still show the spirit of the
Anzacs.
Sixty men went to the war and forty-five came back.
The residents of Yolla made a memorial
commemorating the soldiers that died and came
back. The residents made two major memorials
which still exist today.

The second was a memorial
avenue which later became
a grove.
The first was a memorial hall
built in 1922.

The Memorial Hall Today
The residents made this because they wanted something that would stand for many years to come
and that would be used by the ensuing generations. They did it so the next generation would
never forget what the sixty men did for us.
The hall is still used today by the community for many events such as the annual Carols by
Candlelight, sport and fundraising events.
Honour Roll of those
deceased
Foundation Stone

The Memorial Hall Today
The residents made this because they wanted something that would stand for many years to come
and that would be used by the ensuing generations. They did it so the next generation would
never forget what the sixty men did for us.
The hall is still used today by the community for many events such as the annual Carols by
Candlelight, sport and fundraising events.
Honour Roll of those
deceased
Foundation Stone

This is the Yolla Honour roll.
Fifteen men died. Many of the
men still have relatives living in
the Yolla area today. Many of
the men would be grandfathers
or great grandfathers to the
children going to the school.

World War 1
soldiers.

Honour Roll of those
deceased
Foundation Stone

Building the hall was a community effort. A soldier from the community laid
the foundation stone to show the appreciation to the community.

The second was an Avenue of Remembrance. Sixty
trees were planted to represent the sixty men who
went to war.
Some years later the trees had to be removed so the
road could be widened.

This is the road in to Yolla where the avenue would have been.
The Memorial Grove

The community then made a Grove of Remembrance
to replace the avenue.
The grove, same as the avenue had sixty trees. The
trees include a tree from the Lone Pine at Gallipoli .

The Lone Pine

The Yolla community in only one small town on the
North West Coast but there are many other towns that
show the same spirit.

Wynyard
Burnie
Somerset

The Anzacs always had an eerie feeling of what was on the
other side of the trench or hill. But they never showed fear
when they looked over and fought for their lives. That is
how we are able to face our doubts and fears because we
get the spirit inside us that tells we can.

Penguin
Ulverstone

We all acknowledge the soldiers and will always try to
understand what they went through. Even if we never
fully understand it, every Australian will always have
something inside them that keeps them going and that
is what I believe and call the ‘Anzac Spirit’.

Bibliography
• 1- Anthony Hill, 2001, Soldier Boy, Penguin Books Australia. Battalion Song,(pg161)
Printed on letterhead of the ‘SS Ulysses’. In the William collection (AWM PR 91/113)
• 2- Les Carlyon, 2001, Gallipoli, Pan Macmillan Australia Pty Limited, Sydney.(pg296 ch16)
Hamilton on life at Anzac: Hamilton,pp256-58.
Pictures
• Picture 1 on slide 1- www.wavingtheflag.com/ tour.asp?TourID=29
• Picture 2 on slide 6- http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-badges/rising_sun.htm
• Picture 3 on slide 20- Yolla Memorial Hall Photo Collection
• Picture 4 on slide 29- (AWM A04013) Gallipoli by Les Carlyon.
• Written Statement Picture -
http://www.education.tas.gov.au/frankmacdonald/background.htm
Audio
• Personal recorded interviews with Ross Smith, Nathan Dennis and Lauren Ewington.
• Royal Military Collage Band, Duntroon, The Rouse, Anzac Day Remembrance Day,
Commemorations Branch of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, February 2003.
Please click to end the slide.