About Mat McLachlan
Mat McLachlan is a leading historian, battlefield guide and media personality.
Mat has spent more than 20 years following in the footsteps of troops who fought and died on battlefields around the world. He is an author, TV presenter and historical consultant to some of the biggest names in media.
TV Presenter
Mat appears regularly on television as a presenter and historical advisor. He was host of the seven-part National Geographic series Life on the Edge and the ABC Anzac Day special Lost in Flanders. He appeared as a battlefield expert in the four-part Discovery Channel series Tony Robinson’s World War 1 and in the SBS series Who Do You Think You Are?
Mat is a frequent guest on news and current affairs programs discussing military history. In this capacity he appears on Channel 7’s Sunrise, Channel 9’s Today, Seven News, ABC News, Nine News, Ten News and SBS News. He is a regular guest during ABC TV’s coverage of Anzac Day and Remembrance Day, reporting from both Australia and overseas, and has appeared frequently on the History Channel.
Author
A journalist by profession, Mat was a writer and corporate magazine editor for 15 years before pursuing his passion for history as a full-time career.
His 2007 book, Walking with the Anzacs, is considered the definitive guide to Australian battlefields on the Western Front. It has been continuously in print for over a decade, and has been reprinted seven times.
Mat’s second book, Gallipoli: The Battlefield Guide, was released in April 2010 (reprinted 2012, 2015) and is the most comprehensive guide to the Australian battlefields of Gallipoli yet published.
Mat is currently working on a new book looking at WWII in the Pacific.
Battlefield Historian
Mat’s passion for history started at a young age after learning that his great uncle, James McLachlan, had been killed in Bomber Command in 1943, and that other relatives fell at Gallipoli and on the Western Front.
He began his journey following in their footsteps more than two decades ago, and his passion for history continued to grow throughout the years.
Mat has spent countless hours exploring the battlefields of France, Belgium, Gallipoli, the UK, Germany, Korea, Vietnam, the American Civil War, The American Indian Wars, Guadalcanal, the Pacific, Thailand, Italy and more, and has played a key part in memorial services and commemorations of some of the world’s most famous battles, including escorting US Secretary of State John Kerry during his visit to Guadalcanal in 2014.
Mat is the founder of leading battlefield tour operator, Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours, which offers over 50 tours – all led by expert Historians – which bring to life WWI and WWII in Europe, WWII in the Pacific, the Vietnam War and the American Civil War. Each year, travellers have the opportunity to visit the battlefields with Mat on his exclusive Signature tour.
Historical Consultant
Mat has worked as a historical consultant for some of the biggest names in media. He is a regular advisor on best-selling author Peter FitzSimon’s military history books, and was a historical consultant on the ABC documentary Monash and Me.
Mat regularly contributes to projects on the History Channel, National Geographic, 7 News, Discovery and ABC TV.
