Ask most Australians about WWI and they’ll talk about Gallipoli. Some might mention Kokoda, which was actually WWII. Very few will mention Fromelles.
They should.
On 19 July 1916, the 5th Australian Division attacked the German lines at Fromelles in what was supposed to be a diversionary operation to support the Battle of the Somme further south. It was a disaster. In less than 24 hours, 5,533 Australians were killed, wounded, or captured. It remains Australia’s worst single-day loss of the entire war.
By comparison, approximately 8,700 Australians died during the entire eight-month Gallipoli campaign. Fromelles inflicted more than half that number in a single day.
The battle is barely known in Australia. There’s no public holiday for it. No dawn service. But in the village of Fromelles, the museum tells the story, and the nearby Pheasant Wood Cemetery — the newest Commonwealth war cemetery, established in 2010 after DNA identification of remains — gives the fallen their names back.
Fromelles is the first stop on Day 5 of Fairways & Frontlines, which we consider the most emotionally significant day of the tour. From there, the route continues to Bullecourt (two bloody battles in 1917), Pozières (23,000 Australian casualties in six weeks), Le Hamel (Monash’s textbook 93-minute victory), and finally the Sir John Monash Centre at Villers-Bretonneux.
The Sir John Monash Centre is not what you’d expect from a war museum. It’s a world-class interactive facility with augmented reality, personal soldier stories, and immersive audio. Over 10,000 Australian names are inscribed on the adjacent memorial. The Australian Government built it to be the centrepiece of our national remembrance in France.
Six major Australian sites in one day. You won’t find another tour that covers this ground with this depth.
The following day, the pace shifts to golf at Amiens and an afternoon at the largest Gothic cathedral in France. You’ll need the change of tempo.
14 places. September 2026.