Federation to the Second World War: Australian Identity and Anzac

Abstract

The Anzac legend has become a foundational story that has eclipsed Federation. Its significance has been central to debates about the tension between national identity and imperial loyalty. However, the Anzac story carries the assumption that there was no national identity before 1915, an assumption easily refuted with reference to Australian colonial history. This chapter examines some of the conceptions of Australian nationalism that have dominated our identity - politically, socially, and culturally – between Federation and the Second World War. It also discusses how ‘Anzac’ built on a solid foundation of Australian nationalism before Australia became a political entity in 1901, suggesting that, among the various meanings ascribed to the act of Federation, one was the facilitation of national cohesion that was further cemented through a legend – Anzac – that drew together both nationalism and imperial loyalty.