Battle of Beersheba ‘should be the cornerstone of Australia’s identity’

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was among those who gathered in Israel on Tuesday for the centenary of the Battle of Beersheba.

“Forward march!” comes the command in an unmistakable Australian accent.

The order is met immediately, with the equally unique Australian enthusiasm the locals here have come to expect.

Even after all these years, the Aussie larrikin is the stuff of local legend.

It has been a century to the day since the last visit from an army of khaki clad, slouch hat-wearing ANZACs, marching purposefully towards the town of Beersheba.

In 1917, the mission was simple: Victory.

Today, for loved ones of those who saddled up in these very same fields, it is proving far more complex and emotional: Remembrance.

“Shalom! Toda raba!” locals shout as the horses’ hooves kick up the fine yellow sand, carried across the landscape of palms and cactus by the warm October breeze.

Read the report and watch the video from SBS TV.