In 1914, Australia was beginning to attain a measure of autonomy from Great Britain. The Royal Australian Navy was officially established in 1911 from the independent naval squadron formed in 1909, and in 1913 the light cruisers Sydney, Melbourne and battlecruiser Australia arrived. Autonomy was still somewhat limited in military matters, however, and the Royal Australian Navy fell under British command during any hostilities - in fact HMAS Australia became flagship of the British 2nd Battlecruiser squadron (though it was undergoing a refit at the time of Jutland).

HMAS Sydney

Autonomy notwithstanding, Australia went to war in 1914 on an upsurge of patriotism, a determination to stand behind Britain "to the last man and the last shilling". Australian forces had served in colonial conflicts - most notably in the Boer War - but 1914 was the first opportunity for Australians to show the whole world their loyalty to Britain. This is perhaps hardly surprising when one considers that at the time Australia was still largely a land of immigrants. Of white Australians, 96% were British (about a third of those were of Irish origin) and many of them had been born in the Old Country. Prime Minister at the outbreak of war was Andrew Fisher, who had been born in Scotland and who, after the Dardanelles disaster of 1915 was replaced by Welshman William Morris "Bill" Hughes.

In 1914, Australia's armed forces were dedicated entirely to home defence. When war broke out, it was decided to create an entirely new force for service overseas, rather than to enlarge existing units (this approach was also taken by Canada). The Australian Imperial Force (AIF) remained all-volunteer throughout the war, with a total of 332,000 men serving overseas during the course of hostilities. Of these, 212,000 were wounded and almost 60,000 killed - a casualty rate of some 82%, the highest sustained by any army during the Great War.

The Australian forces that were thus created kept their state identities, for example the 5th Brigade, 2nd Division was a New South Wales unit, whereas 6 Brigade was from Victoria. The Australians went to Europe in company with their New Zealand neighbours as part of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, popularly shortened to ANZAC, the soldiers thus being known as Anzacs.

The Anzac soldier caused something of an impression on the British military establishment. Some were patronising about the "rough and ready" look of the soldiers, with their distinctive slouch hats and comfortable, baggy-looking uniforms, easy discipline (officers were habitually addressed on first-name terms). However, once the men went into action, British opinion soon changed to one of glowing admiration. The official Australian historian, C. E. W. Bean, records that: "the word ANZAC represented reckless heroism, enterprise, resourcefulness, fidelity and "mateship", the latter perhaps most significant: the belief that that come what may, one's mates should never be let down."

The Anzacs are perhaps best known for their valiant service in the ill-fated Dardanelles campaign. Australia's national day, Anzac Day, commemorates the anniversary of the first landings at Gallipoli; the campaign was immortalised in the film "Gallipoli" with Mel Gibson and much has been written about the privations of that campaign, the brunt of which were borne by ANZAC.

Anzacs charge at Gallipoli

Australian troops also served in the Palestinian campaign, the Anzac and Australian Mounted divisions giving sterling service when combined with the Imperial Camel Corps into the Desert Mounted Corps. The Light Horse served at Gallipoli as infantry but really came into their own as part of the DMC and earlier in Sinai.

On the western front, too, Australian troops were in the thick of the fighting. The capture of Messines Ridge by the Australians in the 3rd Battle of Ypres in 1917 was but one instance of Australian heroism on the western front.

The Australian Flying Corps operated over Mesopotamia and Palestine, and later sent 3 squadrons to the western front - 1 reconaissance and 2 figher squadrons arriving in September 1917.

It is difficult to understate Australia's contribution to the Allied cause in the Great War. Quite apart from her military exploits, which were many and glorious, Australia supplied 97% of Britain's meat supplies and 35% of her copper among many other things.

Australian heroes of the Great War are many, but special mention should be made of Sir William Birdwood, commander of ANZAC and one of the few allied generals to be loved by his soldiers and to love and respect them in return. Created a peer in 1938, he took the title of Baron Birdwood of Anzac and Totnes, with a prominent Southern Cross on his coat of arms. Or the crew of HMAS Sydney, who in 1914 destroyed the famous German surface raider Emden. Or Albert Jacka, who won a VC for clearing a trench at Gallipoli. Or "Light Horse Harry" Chauvel, who led the Desert Mounted Corps, the largest body of cavalry in modern times. Or Sir John Monash, who, with almost no military experience in 1914, rose to command the Australian Corps and was knighted in the field by the King.