Anzac Day goes beyond the anniversary of the landing on Gallipoli in 1915.
It is the day on which we remember all Australians who served and died in war and on operational service past and present. The spirit of Anzac, with its qualities of courage, mateship, and sacrifice, continues to have meaning and relevance for our sense of national identity.
Join thousands of Australians who gather on the lawns of the Memorial as the sun rises to reflect, remember, and acknowledge the incredible courage and sacrifice of all Australian servicemen and servicewomen during times of war and peace.
In the shadow of the Memorial’s dome, Corporal Mark Donaldson VC, awarded the Victoria Cross Medal for his actions in Afghanistan in 2008, will deliver the Dawn Service Commemorative Address.
Afterwards, visitors can meet at the Aboriginal Memorial plaque at the foot of Mount Ainslie to remember the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have served in Australian forces.
Watch the RSL Veterans’ March from the Memorial’s Parade Ground as part of the National Ceremony, beginning at 10.30am. Guests are welcome to bring their own seats or rugs and can view the ceremony on large screens set in the grounds of the Memorial. The service will include the national anthems of Australia and New Zealand and a Commemorative Address by His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd), Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, as well as the laying of wreaths, reading of hymns, sounding of the Last Post, and the observance of one minute’s silence.
Visitors are welcome to lay their own wreaths at the Stone of Remembrance following the National Ceremony.
Gather in the Commemorative Courtyard at 4.45 pm for the Last Post Ceremony. Accompanied by the stirring sounds of a bugler and a piper, a member of the Australian Defence Force will read the story of Sergeant Charles James Backman, who died on Gallipoli 104 years ago.
Visit the Australian War Memorial’s website for information about reserved seating, local road closures, and free bus travel.