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All Publication Details
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Appears in:
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Journal of Australian Studies
vol.
44
no.
4
2020
20835187
2020
periodical issue
'In March 2020, as the dimensions of the COVID-19 pandemic became increasingly apparent, Prime Minister Scott Morrison rallied Australians for what would be “the toughest year of our lives” for many. 1 “We must not let fear overtake us,” Morrison said, as he summoned “the spirit of the Anzacs, of our Great Depression generation, of those who built the Snowy, of those who won the great peace of World War II and defended Australia” in his effort to inspire and reassure. 2 The following month, in the lead-up to Anzac Day, Morrison observed that this was not the first time commemorations had been disrupted by a pandemic; in 1919, parades for returned soldiers were cancelled due to the Spanish influenza outbreak that killed around 12,000 Australians, and as many as 20 million people globally. The prime minister urged Australians to find “COVID-safe” ways of commemorating Anzac Day: “I look forward to the entire nation, on their driveways, lighting up the dawn, remembering our heroes and drawing inspiration from them for the task and challenge we currently face.”' (Carolyn Holbrook, Margaret Hutchison, Editorial introduction)
2020
pg.
440-456
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