Ask Google Assistant to Read You Anzac Stories and Place a Real Poppy

"Hey Google, ask Anzac Stories to place a poppy for me".

If you can’t make it to an Anzac service this year, technology is making commemoration more accessible.

In collaboration with the State Library of Queensland and Anzac Square Memorial Galleries, a range of features are available on Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant in the lead-up to Anzac Day.

You can ask for immersive oral histories and diaries of Australian war heroes to be read to you, accompanied by music of the time and realistic soundscapes. All you need to do is say “Hey Google, ask Anzac Stories to tell me about World War 2”, or a war of your choice.

Don't forget, this Anzac Day you can tell your smart assistant to "Ask Anzac Stories to play the last post". @State Library of Queensland and @Anzac Square have added even more touching stories from days gone by to help us remember those who have fallen. pic.twitter.com/ownAMZKaoo

— TalkVia (@TalkViaHQ) April 21, 2022

You can even get your own poppy placed in a Memorial Gallery of your choice, such as the WWI, WWII or post-1945 galleries, by a staff member. Just say “Hey Google, Ask Anzac Stories to place a poppy” and you’ll be sent a photo of your poppy once it’s been placed!

On the day itself, ask Anzac Stories to play the Last Post and guide you through a minute of silence afterwards.

The technology for the project was developed in Queensland with a start-up called Alkira.

With the rich history preserved in the State Library’s collection, such as letters from a Turkish prisoner of WWI, and a nurse’s diary working in Greece, it’s a fantastic resource to help pay your respects.