Each year on Anzac Day, New Zealanders (and Australians) mark the anniversary of the landing of our soldiers at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915.

On that day, thousands of young men, far from their homes, stormed the beaches on the Gallipoli Peninsula, in what is now Turkey.

By the time the campaign ended, more than 130,000 men had died: at least 87,000 Ottoman soldiers and 44,000 Allied soldiers, including more than 8700 Australians. Among the dead were 2779 New Zealanders, about a sixth of all those who had landed on the peninsula. For eight long months, New Zealand troops, alongside those from Australia, Great Britain and Ireland, France, India, and Newfoundland battled harsh conditions and the Ottoman forces who were desperately fighting to protect their homeland.

In the wider story of the First World War, the Gallipoli campaign made no large mark. The number of dead, although horrific, paled in comparison with the death toll in France and Belgium during the war. However, for New Zealand, along with Australia and Turkey, the Gallipoli campaign is often claimed to have played an important part in fostering a sense of national identity.

Today Team Harakeke visited the Upper Riccarton Library to learn all about ANZAC day. We enjoyed looking at all the artifacts from the war, hearing the stories from a Returned Soldier and looking at some books. We even had a quick look at the puzzles!