A unique perspective on our ANZAC heritage.
The “Spirit of the Anzac” has typically come to represent the positive qualities we want to see in ourselves and our community – strength in adversity, coming together as one and standing up for what we believe in.
As we approach 109 years since Australian soldiers began landing in Gallipoli, we can pause to consider how far our country has come since 1915.
From our soldiers training at Maygar Barracks who then took the long journey to distant shores, through to Hume’s election of its first Turkish Mayor, Naim Kurt, to this day, Hume remains connected to our Anzac heritage through a dynamic Turkish – Australian community.
Fast forward to post-wars Australia, Broadmeadows was no longer exporting soldiers to the front, instead becoming one of the first areas to accept Turkish-born people.
By the late 1960s the first big wave of Türkiye–born migrants had begun, many landing in Hume and remaining to this day.
During this time the Maygar Barracks, once the training ground for men being sent to the Gallipoli campaign, were used to house the first migrants brought under the assisted-package agreement signed between Turkiye and Australia.
It was the first agreement of its kind between Australia and a country outside of Western Europe, allowing for the first Muslim community settlement in Australia and showing that where enemies were created so too new relationships can be born.
Come 2024, now established as Hume City and with the highest Turkish population in Victoria, it’s also the home of our country’s first Australian born Mayor of Turkish heritage.
And as a way to celebrate this full circle moment, Cr. Naim Kurt is looking forward to representing both his Australian and Turkish ancestries in Hume, the home he’s always known that just happens to be at the forefront of Australian-Turkish history and reconciliation.
“Hume City’s strength is its diversity, and this has been made possible because those who once fought against each other can now live as friends and neighbours,” he says.
“My family has been in Hume for generations, and I’ve had family members that have fought for this country including in Gallipoli. These stories are the ones that we share no matter our heritage. Coming together on Anzac Day is the best way to honour those legacies and celebrate our present.”
See Hume City Council’s full list of ANZAC Day services.
