Description
The 1916 Original Department of Education Victoria Commemorative ANZAC Medal you’re referring to is a historic bronze medallion struck in Australia in 1916 to commemorate the first anniversary of the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. It was not an official military award but a commemorative piece organised by the Victorian Department of Education, mainly for school children and the public.
Overview
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Issued: 1916 in Victoria, Australia.
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Issued by: Department of Education, Victoria (not by the military).
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Purpose: To commemorate the first anniversary of the ANZAC landings at Gallipoli (25 April 1915).
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Audience: Originally sold to Victorian school children and also distributed to the general public on ANZAC Button Day.
Physical Description
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Material: Bronze.
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Size: ~27 mm in diameter.
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Obverse (front):
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Head of King George V facing left.
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Inscription: FOR KING AND COUNTRY 1916 (with the mint mark of Stokes & Sons, Melbourne, on some examples).
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Reverse (back):
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Laurel wreath surrounding the central ANZAC inscription.
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Around the edge: DEPT. OF EDUCATION VICTORIA and LEST WE FORGET 25 APR 15.
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Plain edge.
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Some examples included an eyelet at the top for attaching a ribbon or suspension loop.
Historical Context
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ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) refers to the troops who landed at Gallipoli, Turkey, on 25 April 1915 during World War I, a campaign that became central to Australian and New Zealand national memory.
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The first ANZAC Day in 1916 marked the first anniversary of that landing and was widely commemorated across Australia, including in schools. The Department of Education in Victoria commissioned and sold these medallions as part of those commemorative activities.
