The Naval Association

The Naval Association

of Australia

VA028 Monday 18 April 2005

STUDENTS URGED TO INVESTIGATE AUSTRALIA'S WARTIME HISTORY

The Minister for Veterans' Affairs, De-Anne Kelly, today launched an education resource that encourages students to understand and explore Australia's service in World War I and World War II as part of the lead-up to Anzac Day.

"More than 11 000 schools across Australia have now received the education resource Operation CLICK: Anzac to Kokoda which includes a teachers' guide book and CD-ROM," Mrs Kelly said.

Operation CLICK uses material from two Department of Veterans' Affairs websites -Visit Gallipoli www.anzacsite.gov.au <http://www.anzacsite.gov.au> and Australia's War 1939-1945 www.ww2australia.gov.au <http://www.ww2australia.gov.au> - and contains information for teachers and activities for students.

"It is an interactive resource that will be an invaluable tool to help teachers and students learn more about Australia's wartime history," Mrs Kelly said.

Mrs Kelly said Operation CLICK was a useful resource for students as Australia marked the 90th anniversary of the Gallipoli campaign and 60th anniversary of the end of World War II.

"Operation CLICK is part of the Government's commitment to ensuring younger generations have an understanding of the significance and importance of our wartime history and commemoration of Anzac Day. Education resources assist teachers to ensure future generations never forget those who have served in defence of our country and the role they have played in building our nation," Mrs Kelly said.

In the lead up to Anzac Day, the Minister said the website www.anzacsite.gov.au <http://www.anzacsite.gov.au> had also been updated to include a virtual tour of the Anzac position on Gallipoli.

"The Anzac Walk is an interactive resource that allows visitors to take a journey back to 1915 with written information, photographs and audio commentary," Mrs Kelly said.

"The information is aimed both at prospective visitors to Gallipoli, as well as users of the website. For online users it provides a tour of the Anzac positions, while those travelling to Gallipoli can actually do the walk, or parts of it, themselves. Travellers can print the guide and the commentary can be downloaded onto an MP3 player.

"The virtual walk gives visitors to the site images and commentary that encourages them to imagine the scene before them as it might have been in
1915 at the height of the Gallipoli campaign.

"I think many people will enjoy visiting www.anzacsite.gov.au <http://www.anzacsite.gov.au> as they mark the 90th anniversary of the Gallipoli campaign this Anzac Day."