Australian Chaplains at Gallipoli: Role, Impact and Influence

Abstract

This study of the role, impact and influence of Australian chaplains during the Gallipoli campaign identifies the formal and informal roles played by chaplains, and how their work was perceived and received by the men they served. It challenges a popular view, sometimes articulated in publications, that the Australian soldier was indifferent to spiritual things and to the work of the chaplains. Instead it shows how chaplains played a vital role in providing a host of support services which could greatly impact soldier morale and emotional well-being. The myth that Australian soldiers were not particularly religious is nuanced by a demonstration that many soldiers took their faith seriously, and the ministrations of the chaplains benefited the troops. It also demonstrates that the calibre of the individual chaplain was key to ensuring the success or otherwise of their role in maintaining the spiritual mission and morale of the troops, and shows in what specific ways chaplains could most impact the soldiers under their care.