Month: November 2014
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Yarning Strong: stories about family for young readers
Dr Anita Heiss is the author of non-fiction, historical fiction, commercial women’s fiction, poetry, social commentary and travel articles. She is a regular guest at writers’ festivals and travels internationally performing her work and lecturing on Indigenous literature. She is an Indigenous Literacy Day Ambassador and a proud member of the Wiradjuri nation of central…
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The Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force – September 1914: Australia’s first ever joint military operation
One hundred years ago, in September 1914, Australia began its first ever joint military operation. The occupation of German New Guinea, taking place more than seven months before the Anzac landings, will always be overshadowed by the larger and more violent event at Gallipoli, but in its own regional context it was at least equally…
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Express yourself with the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations
As readers and spectators, we are drawn to quotations that speak to us and resonate with us; we are inspired by the speech of a great leader, amused by the witticisms of a famous figure and touched by the lyrical visions created by poets, authors and wordsmiths. Words obviously mean a lot to us here…
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Furphies and Whizz-bangs: Documenting the Language of Australians in the First World War
In 2015, Australia will mark the centenary of the landing of Australian and New Zealand soldiers at what came to be known as Anzac Cove (Gaba Tepe). For Australia, this event has been a significant marker of nationhood, and the legacy of Anzac plays an important role in Australian cultural and political life. The experience…
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Oxford Word of the Month – November: Snowball March
Snowball march – noun: a march held during the First World War to encourage army recruitment, particularly from rural areas. During the First World War, a method for recruiting soldiers, especially from rural areas, was the snowball march. After the outbreak of war, committees were formed in most Australian towns to organise and encourage recruitment….