"Gallipoli" shows much of the conditions and events that soldiers endured in the Gallipoli theatre of war. Archy Hamilton's athlete character was inspired by a line from Charles Bean's "Official History of Australia in the War of 1914–1918", describing Private Wilfred Harper of the 10th Light Horse during the attack at the Nek: "Wilfred... was last seen running forward like a schoolboy in a foot-race, with all the speed he could compass."