Odd Bods co-founder and long term secretary, George Smith, was a regular attendee at Wesley College Anzac Services and was keen to foster student understanding of Australians in war.
When George passed in 2015, Wesley College and Friends of the Odd Bods joined in creating the George V. Smith Award for the best student essay about the Anzac Spirit.
The essays from year 10 students were to be judged by college staff and the winner announced at the annual Anzac service at Wesley's Glen Waverley campus attended by all students. Friends of the Odd Bods and the Smith family contribute to a student prize of a $500 book voucher each year.
The 2026 winner was Willow Bednar who wrote the particularly thought provoking essay found below. Our photo shows Odd Bods Secretary Greg Smith presenting the award to Willow.
Mateship: Survival Mechanism or National Myth?
The ANZAC spirit is often described as a cultural ethos shared by Australians and New Zealanders, rooted in the extreme conditions experienced at Gallipoli in 1915. During this time, mateship became integral to every ANZAC soldier’s life, as they drew on courage, bravery, and companionship to protect and support their fellow soldiers. Mateship is often celebrated as a defining aspect of the ANZAC spirit, when in reality, it was a survival mechanism fostered under the oppressive environment of war, helping not only to sustain morale on the battlefield but also to shape Australian identity, and national memory.
Mateship has been widely memorialised as a defining aspect of the ANZAC spirit, representing selflessness and sacrifice. This was demonstrated by the ANZAC soldiers who dedicated their lives to fighting Australia’s battles and protect their fellow comrades in World War I. As Sergeant Simon Fraser is captured carrying a wounded companion over the span of three days through ‘No Mans Land’, he reinforces how mateship depicts the humanity of soldiers. This is strongly reflected in the ‘Cobbers’ Statue in the Australian Memorial Park in France. This depicts Sergeant Simon Fraser lifting his fellow, wounded comrade from the battlefield and selflessly carrying him to safety (Corlett, 1998). This reveals that survival depended on mutual reliance among comrades rather than individual heroism. The statue further indicates that mateship, whilst a form of emotional unity, under the harsh conditions of the Battle of Fromelles, became a duty and necessity due to the extreme physical rigour of the front lines. This reinforces the idea that mateship was less of a moral choice but more of a necessity on the battlefield. In which men risked their lives for one another, emphasising loyalty and support which extended beyond friendship to neighbours and strangers. Whilst demonstrating the lengths which soldiers were willing to go to for one another, the ‘Cobbers’ statue also reflects how the myth of mateship on the battlefield has been memorialised. This suggests that mateship was not only an act of heroism, but of humanity, loyalty, and willingness to sacrifice life for another comrade.
In contrast to later representations, firsthand accounts reveal that mateship was something formed between comrades in the face of unknown danger. This is illustrated by a diary entry written during the first landing at Gallipoli on the 25th of April 1915. The entry details how “many […] stood shoulder to shoulder” the soldier described “look[ing] down the ranks of [his] comrades [and wondering] which of [them] were marked for the Land Beyond.” (Department of Veterans' Affairs, 2020). The phrase “shoulder to shoulder” reflects feelings of shared emotional dependence among soldiers and implies how mateship was prominent on the dawn of the Gallipoli Campaign. It illustrates both the emotional and physical unity accompanying proximity, reinforcing that mateship functioned as a psychological coping mechanism (Australian War Memorial, 2023). Moreover, the use of “comrades” indicates a shared sense of identity across men, highlighting that mateship was a form of emotional resilience, which empowered soldiers and encouraged support (Australian War Memorial, 2023). This is supported by references to the “Land beyond”, where the soldier exemplifies the shared awareness of death among the platoon, emphasising how soldiers were able to confront fear as one, openly, through support rather than alone. This supports the idea that mateship emerged from necessity in harsh conditions and served to embody the value of unreserved support (Australian War Memorial, 2023). Whilst this firsthand account does not describe physical rescue upon the battlefield, it reveals the emotional dependence established between men. The entry serves to further emphasises how mateship is not strictly established through physical acts of heroism, but the psychological resilience it enforced within Australian soldiers through courage. Therefore, mateship was not just an idealised value, but also a vital aspect to mental survival and the building of the Australian identity in World War I, reflecting how it was a necessary response to the reality of war.
At Gallipoli John Simpson Kirkpatrick embodied the values of mateship through his dedication, while his story was simultaneously romanticised in memory. During the Gallipoli campaign, Simpson Kirkpatrick repeatedly risked his life, using a donkey to rescue wounded soldiers and return them to safety between April 15, 1915, and his death on the 9th of May 1915 (Australian War Memorial, 2016). Kirkpatrick’s demonstration of devotion to his fellow men illustrates the extreme levels of sacrifice involved with mateship as he risked his life “[carrying] no arms” when saving his comrades (Australian War Memorial, 2019). Such actions highlight how mateship meant providing unreserved support in times of need, which is reinforced by Kirkpatrick who was described to have “often [exposed] himself to fire” whilst rescuing the wounded (Australian War Memorial, 2019). This underscores that mateship was more than emotional support, as it required individuals to prioritise their comrades' survival even at great personal risk (Australian War Memorial, 2023). However, it has become clear that Kirkpatrick’s story has been largely romanticised and retold across Australia. As it was described to have been “a vital contribution to the story of ANZAC” by the Australian War Memorial, the broader romanticisation could have affected its reliability in reflecting the broader soldier experience (Australian War Memorial, 2019). Whilst Kirkpatrick’s actions are undeniably heroic, commendable and an accurate illustration of the ANZAC spirit in action, the large focus on the individual heroism obscures the harsh realities of warfare. It further showcases how the courageous acts of people during the First World War have been memorialised and have fostered defining Australian values, including camaraderie, fairness, and unwavering support. Ultimately, John Simpson Kirkpatrick demonstrates how mateship was not only an aspect of wartime survival but assisted in building national identity and was a powerful element of Australia’s collective memory of the First World War.
Thus, the experiences recorded and remembered by the soldiers who fought for Australia in World War I reveal that mateship was not only remembered but was fostered as a necessity to survive on the battlefield. This has been seen through first-hand accounts, which reinforce the psychological bond that was a crucial source of strength to be drawn on under the harsh conditions of the First World War. Similarly, figures such as Simpson Kirkpatrick and Sergeant Simon Fraser depicted in the ‘Cobbers’ Statue in France further reinforce the memorable aspects of the ANZAC spirit. They reinforce the Australian national identity and stand as symbols of heroism on the battlefield, demonstrating how the moral of mateship has echoed through the decades. Ultimately, showcasing how mateship was not simply a lived experience upon the front lines, but a constructed mindset which sustained fighting soldiers and continues to shape the everlasting Australian identity.
Willow Bednar
Bibliography
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