At the outbreak of the World War in August, 1914, the Australian as a
soldier was an unknown quantity. It is quite true that in the previous
campaigns in the Soudan and in South Africa, Australia had been
represented, and that a sprinkling of native-born Australians had
taken service in the Imperial armies. The performances of these
pioneers of Australia in arms were creditable, and the reputation
which they had earned was full of promise. But, viewed in their proper
perspective, these contributions to Imperial Defence were no true
index of the capacity of the Australian nation to raise and maintain a
great army worthy and able in all details to take its place in a world
war, beside the armies of the great and historic civilizations of the
Old World.

No Australian, nor least of all those among them who had laboured in
times of peace to prepare the way for a great national effort,
whenever the call to action should come, ever doubted the capacity of
the nation worthily to respond; but while the magnitude and quality of
the possible effort might well have been doubted by our Imperial
authorities and our Allies, and while it was certainly regarded as
negligible by our enemies, the result in achievement has exceeded, in
a mighty degree, the most optimistic hopes even of those who knew or
thought they knew what Australia was capable of.

For, to-day, Australia has, besides its substantial contribution to
the Naval Forces of the Empire, actually in being a land army of five
divisions and two mounted divisions, fully officered, fully equipped,
and stamped with the seal of brilliantly successful performance; and
has created and maintained all the hundred and one national activities
upon which such an achievement depends.