Q: Next year marks the 110th anniversary of the Gallipoli campaign. Why do you think this still resonates so strongly with Australians?
A: The Anzac landings at Gallipoli have become embedded in our culture as a story of bravery, mateship, sacrifice and fighting on in the face of adversity.
The Anzac spirit – qualities of character – that became legend from the landings and Gallipoli campaign established Australian’s reputation around the world for being tough, inventive, loyal, brave, adventurous and having a great sense of humour.
These characteristics became a strong part of the Australian identity – and still are in many ways.
The tragedy of the Gallipoli landings also still resonates today – the true story of these young soldiers coming ashore under a hail of bullets, the large loss of young lives at Gallipoli and then on the Western Front, still evokes tears 110 years on.
The understanding that our country may not be what it is today without the service and sacrifice of the Anzacs at Gallipoli and in the First and Second World Wars is also something that continues to connect us with this history.
Q: Are battlefield tours still popular?
A: We are continuing to see growth and interest in battlefield travel across all generations. Interest in Anzac history is very strong, as we see on April 25 each year when hundreds of thousands of Australians attend Dawn Services around our country.
Couple this with our interest in travel – with Australians considered among the most prolific travellers in the world – and for many of us, the idea of attending a Dawn Service at Gallipoli or on the Western Front becomes a bucket list experience.
Or, just walking the ground to see where this history took place and the marks that still remain from the Great War is something that is of broad interest.
Q: What kind of emotions and memories do Aussie travellers on your tours come away with?
A: A visit to the former battlefields of the First and Second World War or Vietnam is always a moving experience. Travellers on our tours very commonly tell us that their experience walking the battlefields was “life changing”.
Our tours are all led by expert historians who bring the history to life through stories of the real people who served – the Anzacs on the battlefields, the nurses, tales from behind the lines, the stories of the impact on local communities in the destination and the impact that was felt on the home front in Australia.
Hearing these stories, seeing historic photographs as you walk the very ground this history took place on, seeing the marks from the war 110 years on, brings with it a great sense of connection, a deeper understanding and commonly a greater appreciation for what we have today. It makes history real and, in a way, transports you back in time.
Q: Your new book is called Krithia – The Forgotten Anzac Battle of Gallipoli. Why has this engagement not received as much publicity?
A: For a long time, the Gallipoli story has centred on the landings on April 25, 1915. On Anzac Day each year the story and history of the landings is told – in mainstream media, at schools, by parents to their children.
At the end of each year we have Remembrance Day, which brings forth the story and history of the end of the Second World War on the Western Front.
Between these two events there are a huge number of battles – some quite well known, some rarely mentioned.
The Battle of Krithia in May 1915 occurred just after the Gallipoli landings and has been caught in the shadow of this very well-known history. I hope to help shed light on this chapter and battle.
Q: You’ll be leading a tour to the battlefield of Krithia next year. What kind of experience can visitors expect on this tour?
A: Over 10 days, we will explore the Anzac Sector, Helles and Krithia, uncovering the stories of the Gallipoli landings on April 25, 1915, the August Offensive, right through to the Gallipoli evacuation.
As well as exploring all the key sites on the Gallipoli peninsula, telling the story of the Anzacs in our most iconic campaign, this tour will get off the beaten path to explore battlefield sites that are rarely seen by visitors.
We will visit original trenches, walk wartime tracks in the Anzac Sector and at Helles, and visit Krithia.
Q: Why is it so important to you to show people these historical sites?
A: My passion for history started at a young age when I learnt my great uncle, James McLachlan, had been killed in Bomber Command in 1943, and other relatives fell at Gallipoli and on the Western Front.
I wanted to see where this history took place, to see the places these relatives had served so many decades before me.
Walking the very ground where this history took place is an incredible experience – very moving, but truly fascinating, particularly to see tangible links so many decades on.
I wanted to help other people connect with this history, so the first Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tour became reality and I led my very first group for an Anzac Day on the Western Front tour in 2007.
Helping others to connect with this history, learn the stories of the Anzacs, see places their relatives served and gain a better understanding of this history is truly an honour and is something I am passionate about.
Krithia – The Forgotten Anzac Battle of Gallipoli is available now as a paperback, ebook and audiobook from all major book retailers and online retailers. RRP: $34.99
Gallipoli Signature Tour with Mat McLachlan
Departs: May 21, 2025, from Istanbul
Duration: 10 Days
Price: $7,499 per person twin share
