The Governor-General receives a message from London about the approaching war but officials fail to understand its [...]

Cabinet meeting in Melbourne to consider the situation in Europe; Ministers agree that the Royal Australian Navy [...]

(London time): Great Britain declares war on Germany

Red Cross is established in Australia in each Australian state

Australian and New Zealand troops land at what will soon be known as Anzac Cove and move inland; they fail to reach [...]

Heavy recruiting throughout Australia as men pledge to replace those already lost at Anzac. In Victoria in July [...]

The last Anzac troops evacuate Anzac Cove for Lemnos and the campaign at Anzac ends

The Battle of Fromelles; Australia loses 5,533 casualties overnight for no gain

The Australians enter the Battle of the Somme at Pozieres. In fighting there and at nearby Mouquet Farm, three [...]

Australians vote ‘no’ to conscription by a small margin; Victorians vote ‘yes’, along with [...]

First Battle of Bullecourt. The plan for the attack exposes the AIF to severe German fire without support from its [...]

Second Battle of Bullecourt. Better co-ordination of the battle leads to the eventual capture of the village of [...]

Third Battle of Ypres commences. In a series of water-logged battles in Belgium around Ypres and Passchendaele [...]

Second conscription referendum. The government’s proposal is again defeated with a stronger, though still [...]

Germans begin their attempted break-out rapidly moving through territory captured by the Allies at such cost in [...]

British General Douglas Haig issues his famous communiqué ‘to all ranks of the British army’: [...]

The Australians attack at Villers-Bretonneux a crucial position on the road to Amiens, itself vital to the defence [...]

The Battle of Amiens begins

Armistice signed by Germany

At around 9 pm news of the armistice is received in Melbourne; the city and the state erupts in a spontaneous [...]

Treaty of Versailles is signed

An installation of 300 poppies will be installed representing all servicemen and women who served during WW1. The [...]