Anzac Day services and private commemorations across Australia remember ‘ultimate sacrifice’ of war
Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks at the Anzac Day dawn service in Canberra.
Leaders and service men and women have paid tribute to the sacrifices of veterans and the strength of Australians at Anzac Day commemorations across the country.
Crowds gathered in the dark in greater numbers than last year, when the beginnings of the coronavirus pandemic saw people gather in driveways and front yards rather than at packed dawn services.
“This time last year, like so many other times in our history, we faced a defining moment as a nation, a moment of uncertainty and danger, when the future seems so uncertain, masked by fog,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
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The Prime Minister recalled the moving private services of last year.
He said the dawn services were a reminder of “the sacrifices, the courage, the selflessness which help make our country what it is today”.
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More than 4,000 people joined the national dawn service, all with special tickets and distanced seating to comply with social distancing measures.
Similar measures are in place across the country, and in Perth, where a snap three-day lockdown is in place, crowds at services were cancelled.
Marches and other commemorations followed the dawn services as light fell across the nation, with caps on who could attend.
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Organisers at RSLs encouraged people to commemorate the day at local services and at home to keep crowds safe.
Here’s how Anzac Day has been marked in your state or territory:
ACT
At the national service in Canberra, Mr Morrison said while the Anzac story may have begun 106 years ago in Gallipoli, it was in the homes, farms and towns across the country where “selflessness, duty, respect and responsibility” is kindled.
Mr Morrison paid special tribute to the 41 Australians who have lost their lives in Afghanistan, after last week announcing the 80 remaining Australian troops in the country would be withdrawn in line with the withdrawal of US troops.
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A small banner parade replaced the traditional veterans march due to COVID-19 restrictions.
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Air Force chief Air Marshal Mel Hupfeld paid particular tribute to squadron leader Peter Jensen, who died earlier this month just days before his 100th birthday.
“I don’t tell his story because he is extraordinary — I tell his story because he felt himself to be ordinary,” he said.
“Peter was just one of the many who gave their country and their community a lifetime of service. For me this is the spirit of Anzac.”
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Western Australia
Many residents of Western Australia marked Anzac Day on their driveways for the second year running.
Perth and the Peel region today entered their second day of a three-day lockdown, but that did not dent the spirit of local residents who were determined to honour the Anzacs.
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“We have to keep the legacy going,” one local veteran said.
“If we don’t, I don’t think it’s fair on those who lost their lives, whether it was in battle or we lost them when they came home through their injuries.”
In regions outside of Perth and Peel, Anzac Day commemorations have gone ahead without restrictions.
Queensland
Queensland Governor Paul de Jersey told the hundreds gathered at Brisbane’s Anzac Square he was delighted people could attend ceremonies this year.
“Last year there were few eyes here to see it, but the flames of remembrance then burned in people’s hands as they stood in lounge rooms and driveways in silent respect,” he said.
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A light up the dawn service in Chapel Hill on Brisbane’s westside attracted nearly 60 people – more than double the turnout on the 2020 inaugural event.
Local veteran and member Kenmore-Moggill RSL sub-branch, Darryl Holden led the service which included the last post, a minute’s silence and the national anthems of both Australia and New Zealand.
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Several thousand people thronged the streets of Brisbane’s CBD to participate in the Anzac Day parade.
Officials encouraged the crowd to give veterans in particular a rousing reception, as many were concerned future restrictions could once again disrupt their opportunity to march.
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Veterans in the march included several from World War II, and serving personnel from RAAF Base Amberley, HMAS Moreton and the Australian Army.
Numerous associations also took part, along with bands from high schools across the state, youth organisations and descendants of veterans from conflicts as far in the past as the Boer War and as recent as Afghanistan.
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In Townsville, about 10,000 people gathered in Anzac Park amid light drizzle, with crowds spilling out onto The Strand and into neighbouring streets.
There was special mention of Australian troops who had served in Afghanistan and special prayers for those veterans who had died by suicide in the last 12 months.
New South Wales
In Sydney, the ticketed event at the Cenotaph in Martin place began at 4:30am, with limited spectator space.
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It was an emotional return for many after the pandemic forced scaled-back commemorations in 2020.
The Governor of New South Wales, Margaret Beazley, laid a wreath, along with Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Opposition Leader Jodi McKay.
“As the dawn is even now about to pierce the night, so let their memory inspire us to work for the coming new light into the dark places of the world.”
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NSW RSL president Ray James said it was a “very moving” service with a “full house”.
An exemption was granted for NSW’s coronavirus rules to allow up to 10,000 people to take part in the Anzac Day march through Sydney’s CBD.
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Les Blackley recently turned 100 years old and attended the march in a wheelchair for the first time, but said his mobility was not going to stop him.
South Australia
A capacity crowd of 2,500 people attended the dawn service at the National War Memorial on Adelaide’s North Terrace, before the traditional march down King William Road to the Cross of Sacrifice.
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Australian Army veteran and RSL Anzac Day committee chair Ian Smith spoke about the need to honour traditions at the same time as protecting them.
“As we pause to remember and honour the fallen, we must also guard our Anzac Day traditions against the unthinking nationalism that sometimes is promoted by those who do not understand what Anzac Day is about,” he told the gathering.
“Anzac Day has never been about success in battle. After all, our Anzac traditions spring from a costly disaster [at Gallipoli].”
Mr Smith also spoke about the mental health struggles of veterans, and the need for ongoing support.
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One of the largest gatherings in South Australia was at Brighton Oval, where 5,500 people paid their respects.
The service is traditionally held at the Arch of Remembrance at Brighton Jetty, but was shifted to Brighton Oval because of its higher capacity amid coronavirus restrictions.
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Veteran reservist Gordon Woods, who took part in today’s Adelaide march, said he was disappointed crowd numbers had been restricted at a time when large attendance was expected at sporting events.
“I do have some concern about the disparity between the crowds that are allowed to go to our football matches and the crowds that were restricted coming here and to other places throughout Australia,” he said.
“It’s such a shame that there’s so much discrepancy between the two.”
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George Lower, who turns 100 in a month and served on the HMAS Manoora during World War II, today participated in his first Anzac Day march.
He joked that he “didn’t want to march today — I’m in a wheelchair!” but said he had been persuaded to join his fellow diggers by the “encouragement of my daughter”.
“We had good times, we had bad times too — it was an experience … I was thankful for,” he said.
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Victoria
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In Melbourne, a smaller-than-normal crowd gathered at the Shrine of Remembrance for the service.
Only 1,400 tickets were available due to coronavirus restrictions, and there were dozens of people gathered across the fence line before the service began.
Governor Linda Desseau laid a wreath on behalf of all Victorians.
During the Dawn Service, the Master of Ceremonies Peter Meehan remembered those lost at war.
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RSL Victoria was given permission to have up to 8,000 people attend the traditional Anzac Day march through Melbourne’s CBD, with attendees needing to register.
World War II veteran Alf Abbott spent the morning thinking about friends who came back from the war.
“It’s a day of remembering mates that are gone. And well, I’m the only one left from my unit,” he said.
Northern Territory
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Thousands gathered at cenotaphs and memorials across the Northern Territory to remember the men and women of Australia’s defence force.
For the first time in Darwin, Australia’s rich cultural history was centre stage with the sounds of the didgeridoo, played by Trent Lee.
Governor-General David Hurley also attended the service at Darwin’s Esplanade, which was lined with people on what was once a frontline of World War II.
Addressing the crowd, he said Australians today were still demonstrating the qualities of the ANZACs — endurance, sacrifice, mateship and courage.
“The Anzac legacy was not etched into stone at Anzac Cove. The Anzac legacy has evolved with each and every operation Australia has been involved in,” General Hurley said.
“In saying this, I also acknowledge that many veterans have experienced difficulties as a result of their service.
“We must support those who serve, and those who have served and their families.”
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In Alice Springs, Anzac Hill stood empty as people gathered at the Garden Cemetery in order to comply with social distancing measures.
Alice Springs’ oldest veteran, Sydney Kinsman, was among many honouring the fallen and those who served in Australia’s military forces.
As one of the last living ‘Rats of Tobruk’, Mr Kinsman said the yearly commemoration was a “must”.
“Anzac Day is a day when you remember so much. Faces come back to you. All day long it does not matter who is talking to you or what’s going on it’s remembering, remembering,” he said.
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An estimated 1,800 visitors attended the dawn service at Adelaide River’s war cemetery, situated on the Stuart Highway 112 kilometres south of Darwin.
Steeped in history, the small town swells each year as people gather to commemorate at the place created especially for the burial of servicemen who died in this part of Australia following the bombing of Darwin in 1942.
Tasmania
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About 3,000 attended Tasmania’s largest dawn service at the Hobart Cenotaph.
The event was capped and people had to register their attendance with RSL Tasmania because of COVID-19 restrictions.
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RSL Tasmania’s Keiran Lennard said the strong attendance, after a year of no commemorations due to the pandemic, showed the Anzac spirit lives on.
“As far as the children today, we may have only once talked about the Anzac Day itself — people now know the sacrifice that was made,” he said.
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Aboriginal Tasmanians who served in Australia’s defence forces have been recognised at the commemoration, with more than 20 elders in attendance.
On the north-west coast, more than 1,200 people gathered at Latrobe, among them Garry Ivory.
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Latrobe is the birthplace of his uncle Teddy Sheean, who was awarded a Victoria Cross, Australia’s highest military honour, last year.
It was the first Anzac Day commemoration since Sheean was posthumously given the award. It came after a long campaign by his family.
ABC
