ANZAC Day 2023: A Day of Remembrance

On Tuesday, April 25th, 2023, Australians paused to commemorate ANZAC Day dawn services around the country, marking the 108th anniversary of the World War I Gallipoli landings. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took part in the national dawn service at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

ANZAC Day is a day of national commemoration and reflection. It is a day to remember and honor the sacrifices made by those who have served and died in military operations . The day is marked by dawn services, parades, and other commemorative events.

In Maitland and East Maitland, thousands of people gathered at dawn to remember the fallen. In Sydney, the main dawn service was held at the Martin Place Cenotaph at 4.30am. In Melbourne, the largest dawn service was held at the Shrine of Remembrance from 5.30am.

The history of ANZAC Day dates back to 1920 when Australia and New Zealand created ANZAC Day as an official holiday to honor those who had fought in the Dardanelles Campaign . Since then it has been broadened to become a memorial day honoring all who served and died in World Wars I and II and in the Korean and Vietnam wars .

ANZAC Day was originally devised to honor the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who served in the Gallipoli Campaign, their first engagement in the First World War (1914–1918) . The acronym ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, whose soldiers were known as Anzacs.

ANZAC Day is not just about remembering the past; it is also about reflecting on the present and looking towards the future. It is a day to show gratitude for the freedoms we enjoy and to reaffirm our commitment to peace.

Lest we forget.