Anzac Portal: Australia's military history and veterans' stories

A soldier in a khaki combat uniform and helmet holding an automatic rifle and ammunition stands in front of a burning building.

Australian service in East Timor

25 May marks 20 years since Operation Astute began in East Timor. Read about the 1,800 ADF members who served.

World War I 1914 to 1918

Soldiers standing near a gun with some loading and operating the gun.

World War II 1939 to 1945

Korean War 1950 to 1953

Photograph of 3RAR on the deck of a US troopship

Vietnam War 1962 to 1975

A male soldier standing in front of a tank.

A man sits in the cockpit of an aircraft. There is a bear holding a pot reading honey painted on the side of the plane.

Australians at D-Day and beyond in World War II

More than 2,500 Australians served in operations to support D-Day on 6 June 1944, and 14 were killed. The Allied invasion of Normandy was called Operation Overlord.

Read about D-Day

Community grants

Saluting Their Service major and community grants from DVA. Batch 1 applications close on 29 July 2026 at 9 pm (Canberra time).

Apply for a grant

Veteran stories

Listen to oral histories

We gather stories of ordinary Australians who've had extraordinary experiences serving in wars, conflicts and peace operations.

Edward Chapman's story

Edward joined the Navy in 1941 when he was 16. He talked about life on board, hunting submarines, AHS Centaur and the war's end.

Cheryl Pearce's story

Cheryl recalled her army career, including deployments in Afghanistan and the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).

Robert Macintosh's story

Bob served in Korea with No 77 Squadron RAAF, and also in Malaysia and Vietnam. He recalled service in Korea and Typhoon Ruth.

Biography

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Six women wearing military uniforms with pants and air force forage caps walk together in a row across bare ground in front of tall coconut trees.

Sister Marie Craig

Marie enlisted in RAAF Nursing Service in 1943. While serving in Papua and New Guinea, she died in a plane crash in 1945.

Short film

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Gallipoli: The first day short film

This DVA-ABC film commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings. Includes veteran reflections of the first day.

Resources

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We've produced over 100 free resources on Australia's military and service history. Many are designed for teachers and students.

Commemorative colouring in sheets

A drawing of a boy point to the words 'Here they come a day to remember'

Here They Come—A Day to Remember digibook

Life in the trenches

1916—Fromelles and the Somme