Anzac Day and Gallipoli – Te Papa Exhibition

Anzac Day is an important day in the New Zealand calendar as people look back on the New Zealanders killed in war and specifically at Gallipoli. The 25^th April is the anniversary of the landing of New Zealand and Australian soldiers on the Gallipoli Peninsula in 1915. This was situated in what is now Turkey. For eight months, troops from New Zealand, Australia, Great Britain, Ireland, France, India, and Newfoundland fought battles in harsh conditions in an attempt to protect their homeland.

The troops were evacuated from the area in December 1915.

By the time the campaign ended, more than 130,000 men had died. Among the dead were 2779 New Zealanders, about a sixth of all those who had landed on the peninsula. Anzac Day is a solemn reminder of the loss of these men – and also of their bravery, doggedness, practicality, resourcefulness, and loyalty.

Te Papa Museum in Wellington is currently running an exhibition by the name of Gallipoli: The Scale of our War. The highlight of this must be the giant sculptures – 2.4 times larger than human size. These took 24,000 hours to create and the detail is incredibly lifelike. The accompanying displays bring home the extreme hardship these soldiers lived through and highlight the stories of eight New Zealanders. It is an excellent exhibition and well worth a visit. Admission is free and it is open between 10am and 6pm daily.