The Glebe Island Bridge was opened in December 1995. On Remembrance Day (11 November) 1998 it was renamed as the ANZAC bridge to commemorate members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, particularly those who served in World War I. The battle that is sometimes (and arguably) thought of as the defining moment in the nationhood of both countries was the battle of Gallipoli, an amphibious invasion of Turkey. The invasion started on 25 April 1915, which is still celebrated as ANZAC Day in both nations.

The campaign was an absolute disaster, despite the undoubted bravery and perseverance of those who were sent to fight it. The ground was completely unsuitable for an invasion with the technology of the time. At the Australian War Memorial in Canberra there is a 3D model of the Gallipoli area; even a casual glance at it shows that any attempt by the powers that be (safely tucked away well behind the lines) to force a landing there in the face of even light defences was not merely negligent, but pathologically stupid. I swear, every time I see it I feel an overwhelming need to dig up Churchill's bones and punch him in the back of the head. Churchill was an inspirational figurehead; the problem was that he thought that he was Wellington reincarnated, yet in reality every time he was allowed near operational decisions they were an ineptly designed disaster. Gallipoli, Norway, his continuing obsession with "Nnnthee soooft underrrbelly of Eurrroppe" which resulted in the Italian campaign and my, didn't THAT work out well, to name just a few examples.

Whether the great and noble generals had only 2D maps, or simply couldn't read contour ones (or more likely, given what happened on the Western Front the previous year, merely assumed that the infantry was expendable) I have no idea.

This statue of a World War I Australian soldier (created by Alan Somerville, born 1938) has sand from Ari Burnu beach at Gallipoli under his feet. He stood alone on the northern side of the roadway at the western end of the ANZAC bridge for some 13 years before a sculpture of a New Zealander was placed opposite him on the southern side of the road (image 3201; PBase link here).