Anzac: The Landing, The Legend, The Law

The word ‘Anzac’ has been the subject of a century of legal regulation in Australia and internationally. In Anzac: The Landing, The Legend, The Law, Catherine Bond interrogates the legal history of one of Australia and New Zealand’s most revered words and the restrictions on the acronym that still exist today.

This book examines how, in 1916, control of ‘Anzac’ was introduced initially for businesses then extended, without precedent, to more private spheres, including prohibiting the use of the word as the name of a home. It documents the effect that these laws had on the Australian home front and the devastating impact on soldiers and families. Yet, such use and regulation was not limited to Australia, with New Zealand, United Kingdom and United States authorities also grappling with how to respond to the increased adoption of ‘Anzac’ within their borders. Bond explores these issues and how this legal history can be used to inform the restrictions on ‘Anzac’ that remain in force in Australia to this day.