Month: April 2015

The iconic ANZAC biscuit

An Australian icon, these crunchy biscuits originated during World War 1. It is generally believed that the ANZAC biscuit were created by the Australian and New Zealand wives, mothers, sisters and sweethearts who wanted to make a treat for their loved ones that could survive the long journey to the front, that’s why they keep…

Remembering Anzac Day – how Australia grieved in the early years

As we draw closer to the day where our country’s tradition is to remember, we thought we’d take a look back at how Australian’s began commemorating ‘Anzac day’ in those first few years. This is an excerpt from chapter 28** from the forthcoming The Centenary History of Australia and the Great War Series – Volume…

10 English words we don’t use anymore, but should

The English language is constantly on the move; always adapting and ever-changing, morphing and creating new meanings. “Selfie-stick” and “yolo” are some of the latest new additions to our everyday language, but today we wanted to remind you of ten words that probably don’t make it into your everyday vernacular (but we think they should). Cavil ▶…

What was your favourite childhood read?

Today is International Children’s Book Day. A love of books and reading is close to all of our hearts here at Oxford Australia so we are celebrating the day by asking staff around the office to share some of their favourite childhood reads. Here are some of their answers: “I have so many but one book in…

Oxford Word of the Month – April: Big Stoush

Big Stoush – noun: the First World War. A number of different terms evolved during the years 1914–18 to refer to the war that involved so many countries of the world and caused so many casualties. In English, the terms world war and Great War were first recorded in 1914. The Oxford English Dictionary first…