Sydney Australia: Ahead of the national day of remembrance on 25 April, a new study released today brings to light Australia’s fading memory - but desire to learn more - about the lives of our ancestors who lived through WWI and WWII.

 

The research¹, conducted by YouGov on behalf of Ancestry, the global leader in family history, reveals that whilst 57% of Australians claim to have a family member who served in these historic conflicts, only half of those people (56%) can recall their ancestor’s name and fewer know what their duties were (45%).

 

Indeed many Australians admit to knowing more about the royal family (49%) or Australian reality TV stars (23%) than their own family history.

 

The global events of the past year, however, have sparked a desire amongst Australians to explore their roots, with half of those surveyed (50%) saying that the COVID-19 pandemic has made them curious about what life was like during other historic challenging times like WWI and WWII and almost a third (31%) feeling that, as a result of closer connections they have had with family during the pandemic, they have a deeper curiosity to learn about their ancestors.

 

When it comes to the remembrance weekend this year, the findings show that the majority (80%) of Australians with a wartime connection plan to participate in commemorative activities, including attending a service (32%) or playing Two-up (8%).

 

But for half (50%) of Australians surveyed, their commemorations will take place privately at home with friends and family - likely driven by concerns about COVID-19: 37% responded that they will not be attending events due to the pandemic so are looking for other meaningful ways to commemorate.

Spokesperson for Ancestry, Jason Reeve says that spending time discovering more about the role that our ancestors played during wartimes can be a fulfilling and often moving way to mark Australia’s national day of remembrance. 

“This new research shows that, due to the ongoing pandemic, many Australians are understandably looking for ways to commemorate at home with family and friends. Learning more about your family history at this time of year - particularly the lives your ancestors lead during wartime - can be an incredibly poignant and bonding experience for the whole family.

All of our ancestors lived through times of military conflict - whether serving abroad or living at home, so whether it’s your great-great grandmother who juggled six children on the homefront, or your great uncle who was awarded a war medal for his bravery, there are stories waiting to be discovered in the branches of your family tree.”

 

To help Australians discover more about their family’s fascinating wartime stories, Ancestry.com.au are opening up more than 40 million military records on the site for free between 21 - 26 April 2021.

 

Jason adds: “The unparalleled records available on Ancestry.com.au give Australians the chance to discover their own world war story and honour the country’s military heroes on April 25. From World War Service Records, to Rolls of Honour, these traces of history open up a window to our ancestors’ lives.

 

To discover your family’s wartime stories on the national day of remembrance, Australians can visit Ancestry.com.au to access the world’s largest online collection of military records for free between 21 April – 26 April, 2021. 

 

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1. Ancestry.com.au YouGov study April, 2021. The study surveyed a National Representative sample of 1,083 Australians, aged 18 years and over.