SJ Alice

Illustrator

Doing this project has given me a whole new appreciation for Anzac Day. Growing up I never heard stories about soldiers in my family, while we did have soldiers in out distant family my grandfather as only a child during WWII so the stories I heard about the people I actually knew weren't about the battlefields and Anzac Day had somewhat male feel to it that I struggled to connect with. While creating my piece I had to really stop and think about what the woman and children's roles were and I realised that while I did not grow up hearing stories of battles and days in the trenches, I did hear about hiding in shelters when bombs fell, of losing childhood friends and knowing it was time to take the children to a safer place when the bombs started falling without warning. I heard stories of rebuilding lives and I've seen the effect that the wounds these memories leave with people. I've realised just how big of a part these people are of the Anzac legacy and that the powerful, strong woman who protected families, and kept life running while the men were in battle are so important.