Anzac Day

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Anzac Day
Dawn service gnangarra 03.jpg
Anzac Day Dawn Service at Kings Park, Western Australia, 25 April 2009, 94th ann
iversary
Observed by
Memorial services, commemorative marches, public holiday
Type
Commemorative, patriotic, historic
Significance
National day of remembrance and first landing of the Anzacs at G
allipoli
Observances
Dawn services, commemorative marches, remembrance services
Date
25 April
Next time
25 April 2015
Frequency
annual
Related to
Remembrance Day (Commonwealth of Nations),
Armistice Day, Veterans Day
Anzac Day /nzk/[1] is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand th
at broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders "who served and died
in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations" and "the contribution and s
uffering of all those who have served."[2][3] Originally 25 April every year was
to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who
fought at Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Anzac Day is also
observed in the Cook Islands, Niue, Pitcairn Islands, and Tonga[citation needed]
. It is no longer observed as a national holiday in Papua New Guinea or Samoa.[4
][5]
Contents [hide]
1 History
1.1 Gallipoli campaign
1.2 Foundations of Anzac Day
1.3 Anzac Day since World War II
1.4 Revival
2 Dawn service
3 Commemoration
3.1 Australia
3.1.1 Australian postage stamps
3.1.2 Australian football
3.1.3 Rugby League football
3.2 New Zealand
3.3 Turkey
3.4 Other overseas ceremonies
4 Criticism
4.1 Criticisms of the revival of public participation in Anzac Day
4.2 Insufficient remembrance of the contribution of New Zealand
5 See also
6 References
7 External links
History[edit]
An Australian veteran on Anzac Day.
Anzac Day marks the anniversary of the first campaign that led to major casualti
es for Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. The acronym
ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, whose soldiers were kno
wn as Anzacs. Anzac Day remains one of the most important national occasions of
both Australia and New Zealand,[6] a rare instance of two sovereign countries no
t only sharing the same remembrance day, but making reference to both countries
in its name. When war broke out in 1914, Australia and New Zealand had been domi
nions of the British Empire for thirteen and seven years respectively.
Gallipoli campaign[edit]

Main article: Gallipoli Campaign

In 1915, Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of an Allied expedition
that set out to capture the Gallipoli Peninsula to open the way to the Black Se
a for the Allied navies. The objective was to capture Constantinople, the capita
l of the Ottoman Empire, which was an ally of Germany during the war. The ANZAC
force landed at Gallipoli on 25 April, meeting fierce resistance from the Ottoma
n Army commanded by Mustafa Kemal (later known as Atatrk). What had been planned
as a bold strike to knock the Ottomans out of the war quickly became a stalemate
, and the campaign dragged on for eight months. At the end of 1915, the Allied f
orces were evacuated after both sides had suffered heavy casualties and endured
great hardships. The Allied casualties included 21,255 from the United Kingdom,
an estimated 10,000 dead soldiers from France, 8,709 from Australia, 2,721 from
New Zealand, and 1,358 from British India. News of the landing at Gallipoli made
a profound impact on Australians and New Zealanders at home and 25 April quickl
y became the day on which they remembered the sacrifice of those who had died in
the war.
Though the Gallipoli campaign failed to achieve its military objectives of captu
ring Constantinople and knocking the Ottoman Empire out of the war, the actions
of the Australian and New Zealand troops during the campaign bequeathed an intan
gible but powerful legacy. The creation of what became known as an "Anzac legend
" became an important part of the national identity in both countries. This has
shaped the way their citizens have viewed both their past and their understandin
g of the present.
Foundations of Anzac Day[edit]
Anzac Day at Manly, Queensland, 1922
On 30 April 1915, when the first news of the landing reached New Zealand, a half
-day holiday was declared and impromptu services were held.[7]
In South Australia, Eight Hour Day, 13 October 1915 was renamed "Anzac Day" and
a carnival was organised to raise money for the Wounded Soldiers Fund.[8]
The date 25 April was officially named Anzac Day in 1916; in that year it was ma
rked by a wide variety of ceremonies and services in Australia and New Zealand,
including a commemorative march through London involving Australian and New Zeal
and troops. In New Zealand it was gazetted as a half-day holiday.[7] Australian
Great War battalion and brigade war diaries show that on this first anniversary,
units including those on the front line, made efforts to solemnise the memory o
f those who were killed this day twelve months previously. A common format found
in the war diaries by Australian and New Zealand soldiers for the day commenced
with a dawn requiem mass, followed mid-morning with a commemorative service, an
d after lunch organised sports activities with the proceeds of any gambling goin
g to Battalion funds. This occurred in Egypt as well.
In London, over 2,000 Australian and New Zealand troops marched through the stre
ets of the city. A London newspaper headline dubbed them "The Knights of Gallipo
li". Marches were held all over Australia in 1916; wounded soldiers from Gallipo
li attended the Sydney march in convoys of cars, accompanied by nurses. Over 2,0
00 people attended the service in Rotorua.[7] For the remaining years of the war
, Anzac Day was used as an occasion for patriotic rallies and recruiting campaig
ns, and marches of serving members of the AIF were held in most cities. From 191
6 onwards, in both Australia and New Zealand, Anzac memorials were held on or ab
out 25 April, mainly organised by returned servicemen and school children in coo
peration with local authorities.
Flags on the cenotaph in Wellington for the 2007 Dawn March. From left to right,
the flags of New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Australia

Anzac Day was gazetted as a public holiday in New Zealand in 1920,

nzac Day Act, after lobbying by the New Zealand Returned Soldiers
the RSA.[10] In Australia at the 1921 State Premiers Conference,
d that Anzac Day would be observed on 25 April each year. However,
served uniformly in all the states.

through the A
Association,[9]
it was decide
it was not ob

During the 1920s, Anzac Day became established as a National Day of Commemoratio
n for the 60,000 Australians and 18,000 New Zealanders who died during the war.
The first year in which all the Australian states observed some form of public h
oliday together on Anzac Day was 1927. By the mid-1930s, all the rituals now ass
ociated with the daydawn vigils, marches, memorial services, reunions, sly two-up
gamesbecame part of Australian Anzac Day culture. New Zealand commemorations als
o adopted many of these rituals, with the dawn service being introduced from Aus
tralia in 1939.[10]
Anzac Day since World War II[edit]
With the coming of the Second World War, Anzac Day became a day on which to comm
emorate the lives of Australians and New Zealanders lost in that war as well and
in subsequent years. The meaning of the day has been further broadened to inclu
de those killed in all the military operations in which the countries have been
involved.
Anzac Day was first commemorated at the Australian War Memorial in 1942, but, du
e to government orders preventing large public gatherings in case of Japanese ai
r attack, it was a small affair and was neither a march nor a memorial service.
Anzac Day has been annually commemorated at the Australian War Memorial ever sin
ce.[6]
A large commemoration march in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales (April 2008)
In New Zealand, Anzac Day saw a surge in popularity immediately after World War
II. However this was short-lived, and by the 1950s many New Zealanders had becom
e antagonistic or indifferent towards the day. Much of this was linked to the le
gal ban on commerce on Anzac Day, and the banning by many local authorities of s
ports events and other entertainment on the day. Annoyance was particularly pron
ounced in 1953 and 1959, when Anzac Day fell on a Saturday. There was widespread
public debate on the issue, with some people calling for the public holiday to
be moved to the nearest Sunday or abolished altogether. In 1966 a new Anzac Day
Act was passed, allowing sport and entertainment in the afternoon.[11]
From the 1960s, but especially in the 1970s and 1980s, Anzac Day became increasi
ngly controversial in both Australia and New Zealand. Protests against the Vietn
am War were common Anzac Day occurrences during the 1960s and 1970s.[12][13] In
1967, two members of the left-wing Progressive Youth Movement in Christchurch st
aged a minor protest at the Anzac Day ceremony, laying a wreath protesting again
st the Vietnam War. They were subsequently convicted of disorderly conduct. In 1
978, a women s group laid a wreath dedicated to all the women raped and killed d
uring war, and movements for feminism, gay rights, and peace used the occasion t
o draw attention to their respective causes at various times during the 1980s.[1
4] In the 1980s, Australian feminists used the annual Anzac Day march to protest
against rape and violence in war and were banned from marching.[15][16]
From about the late 1980s, however, there was an international resurgence of int
erest in World War I and its commemorations. Anzac Day attendances rose in Austr
alia and New Zealand, with young people taking a particular interest. Protests a
nd controversy became much rarer.
Until 1981 Papua New Guinea commemorated its war dead on Anzac Day; however, sin
ce then Remembrance Day has been observed on 23 July, the date of the first acti
on of the Papuan Infantry Battalion against the Japanese at Awala in 1942 during

the Kokoda Track campaign.[17]

Revival[edit]
Royal Victoria Regiment marching through Melbourne on ANZAC Day 2008
Anzac Day at Darwin, 25 April 2013
Following Australia s involvement in the Vietnam War, interest in Anzac Day reac
hed its lowest point. On 26 April 1975, The Australian newspaper covered the pas
sing of Anzac Day in a single story.[18] However, in recent years Anzac Day has
drawn record crowds,[19] with an increasing number of those attending being youn
g Australians,[20][21] many of whom attend ceremonies swathed in Australian flag
s, wearing green and gold T-shirts and beanies and with Australian flag tattoos
imprinted on their skin.[22][23][24][25] This phenomenon has been perceived by s
ome as a reflection of the desire of younger generations of Australians to honou
r the sacrifices made by the previous generations.[26]
Hobart Cenotaph, Tasmania, Australia with wreaths for ANZAC Day
Australians and New Zealanders recognise 25 April as a ceremonial occasion to re
flect on the cost of war and to remember those who fought and lost their lives f
or their country. Commemorative services and marches are held at dawn, the time
of the original landing, mainly at war memorials in cities and towns across both
nations and the sites of some of Australia and New Zealand s more-recognised ba
ttles and greatest losses, such as Villers-Bretonneux in France[27] and Gallipol
i in Turkey.[28]
One of the traditions of Anzac Day is the gunfire breakfast (coffee with rum a
dded) which occurs shortly after many dawn ceremonies, and recalls the breakfas
t taken by many soldiers before facing battle. Later in the day, ex-servicemen
and ex-servicewomen meet and join in marches through the major cities and many s
maller centres.
Dawn service[edit]
Poppies, a symbol of remembrance
After the First World War, returned soldiers sought the comradeship they felt in
those quiet, peaceful moments before dawn. With symbolic links to the dawn land
ing at Gallipoli, a dawn stand-to or dawn ceremony became a common form of Anzac
Day remembrance during the 1920s.
The first official dawn service was held at the Sydney Cenotaph in 1927. Dawn se
rvices were originally very simple and followed the operational ritual; in many
cases they were restricted to veterans only. The daytime ceremony was for famili
es and other well-wishers and the dawn service was for returned soldiers to reme
mber and reflect among the comrades with whom they shared a special bond.
The wreath laying at the 2008 dawn service at the Australian War Memorial at Hyd
e Park Corner, London.
Before dawn the gathered veterans would be ordered to "stand-to" and two minutes
of silence would follow. At the start of this time a lone bugler would play the
Last Post and then concluded the service with Reveille. In more recent times th
e families and young people have been encouraged to take part in dawn services,
and services in Australian capital cities have seen some of the largest turnouts
ever. Reflecting this change, the ceremonies have become more elaborate, incorp
orating hymns, readings, pipers and rifle volleys. Others, though, have retained
the simple format of the dawn stand-to, familiar to so many soldiers.

Australian War Memorial Anzac Day dawn service, 25 April 2013. The crowd of arou
nd 35,000 people is addressed by Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith VC MG who is reading
stories and anecdotes from Australian service men and women relating to the war
in Afghanistan.
Typical modern dawn services follow a pattern that is now familiar to generation
s of Australians, containing the following features: introduction, hymn, prayer,
an address, laying of wreaths, recitation, the playing of the Last Post, a minu
te of silence, Reveille, and the playing of both the New Zealand and Australian
national anthems. At the Australian War Memorial, following events such as the A
nzac Day and Remembrance Day services, families often place artificial red poppi
es beside the names of relatives on the Memorial s Roll of Honour. In Australia,
sprigs of rosemary are often worn on lapels[29] and in New Zealand poppies have
taken on this role.[30]
Commemoration[edit]
The Last Post is played at an Anzac Day ceremony in Port Melbourne, Victoria, 25
April 2005. Ceremonies like this are held in virtually every suburb and town in
Australia and New Zealand on Anzac Day each year.
In Australia and New Zealand, Anzac Day commemoration features solemn "Dawn Serv
ices" or "Dawn Marches", a tradition started in Albany, Western Australia on 25
April 1923 and now held at war memorials around both countries, accompanied by t
houghts of those lost at war to the ceremonial sounds of the Last Post on the bu
gle. The fourth stanza of Laurence Binyon s poem For the Fallen (known as the "O
de of Remembrance", or simply as "the Ode") is often recited.
Australia[edit]
Anzac Day is a national public holiday and is considered by many Australians to
be one of the most solemn days of the year. Marches by veterans from all past wa
rs, as well as current serving members of the Australian Defence Force and Reser
ves, with allied veterans as well as the Australian Defence Force Cadets and Aus
tralian Air League and supported by members of Scouts Australia, Guides Australi
a, and other uniformed service groups, are held in cities and towns nationwide.
The Anzac Day March from each state capital is televised live with commentary. T
hese events are generally followed by social gatherings of veterans, hosted eith
er in a public house or in an RSL club, often including a traditional Australian
gambling game called two-up, which was an extremely popular pastime with ANZAC
soldiers. In most Australian states and territories, gambling is forbidden outsi
de of licensed venues. However, due to the significance of this tradition, two-u
p is legal only on Anzac Day.
Despite federation being proclaimed in Australia in 1901, it is argued that the
"national identity" of Australia was largely forged during the violent conflict
of World War I,[22][31] and the most iconic event in the war for most Australian
s was the landing at Gallipoli. Dr. Paul Skrebels of the University of South Aus
tralia has noted that Anzac Day has continued to grow in popularity;[32] even th
e threat of a terrorist attack at the Gallipoli site in 2004[33] did not deter s
ome 15,000 Australians from making the pilgrimage to Turkey to commemorate the f
allen ANZAC troops.[34]
Although commemoration events are always held on 25 April, most states and terri
tories currently observe a substitute public holiday on the following Monday whe
n Anzac Day falls on a Sunday. When Anzac Day falls on Easter Monday, such as in
2011, the Easter Monday holiday is transferred to Tuesday.[35] This followed a
2008 meeting of the Council for the Australian Federation in which the states an
d territories made an in principle agreement to work towards making this a unive
rsal practice.[36] However in 2009, the Legislative Council of Tasmania rejected
a bill amendment that would have enabled the substitute holiday in that state.[
37]

Australian postage stamps[edit]

Australia Post has issued stamps over the years to commemorate Anzac Day, the fi
rst being in 1935 for the 20th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings.
The full list of issued stamps is as follows:
1935 20th Anniversary (2 values) 2d Red and 1/- Black featuring the London Cenot
aph.
In 1955, the then current 3d Purple Nursing commemorative stamp was privately ove
rprinted with the words "ANZAC 19151955 40 YEARS LEST WE FORGET" and a value rang
ing from 1d to 1 was also added which was the fundraising amount in addition to t
he legal cost of stamp of which the denomination was 3d. Eight values were issued
and were intended to raise funds for the Anzac commemorations. It is believed t
hese stamps were authorised by the secretary of a leading Melbourne RSL club.
1965 50th Anniversary (3 values) 5d Khaki, 8d Blue and 2/3 Maroon featuring Simp
son and his donkey.
1990 75th Anniversary (5 values) 41 x 2, 65, $1, and $1.10 all featuring various A
nzac themes.
2000 ANZAC legends (4 values) 45 x 4 featuring Walter Parker, Roy Longmore, Alec
Campbell and the Anzac medal.
Australian football[edit]
Main article: Anzac Day clash
In attendance at the 2008 Anzac Day National Service at the Australian War Memor
ial in Canberra are Angus Houston, Chief of the Defence Force (Australia) (left)
, Murray Gleeson then Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, Jon Stanhope
, Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory (centre), Peter Cosgrove, i
mmediate past Chief of the Defence Force (Australia) (second from right), and Ke
vin Rudd, Prime Minister of Australia (right).
During many wars, Australian rules football matches have been played overseas in
places like northern Africa, Vietnam, and Iraq as a celebration of Australian c
ulture and as a bonding exercise between soldiers.[38][39][40]
The modern-day tradition began in 1995 and is played every year between traditio
nal AFL rivals Collingwood and Essendon at the MCG. This annual match is often c
onsidered the biggest of the AFL season outside of the finals, sometimes drawing
bigger crowds than all but the Grand Final,[41] and often selling out in advanc
e. A record crowd of 94,825 people attended the inaugural match in 1995.[42][43]
[44] The Anzac Medal is awarded to the player in the match who best exemplifies
the Anzac spirit skill, courage, self-sacrifice, teamwork and fair play. Colling
wood hold the advantage 11 wins to 8 with one draw (in the inaugural year, 1995)
.
In 2013, St Kilda and the Sydney Swans played an Anzac Day game in Wellington, N
ew Zealand, the first AFL game played for premiership points outside of Australi
a.[45] The winning team, Sydney, were presented with the inaugural Simpson-Hende
rson Trophy by the Prime Minister of New Zealand. The trophy was named after two
notable Anzac soldiers: John Simpson Kirkpatrick and Richard Alexander Henderso
n.[46]
Rugby League football[edit]
Main articles: Anzac Test and Club ANZAC Game
Beginning in 1997, the Anzac Test, a rugby league test match, has commemorated A
nzac Day, though it is typically played a week prior to Anzac Day. The match is
always played between the Australian and New Zealand national teams, and has dra
wn attendances of between 20,000 and 45,000 in the past.
Domestically, matches have been played on Anzac Day since 1927 (with occasional
exceptions). Since 2002, the National Rugby League (NRL) has followed the lead o
f the Australian Football League, hosting a match between traditional rivals St

George Illawarra Dragons and the Sydney Roosters each year to commemorate Anzac
Day in the Club ANZAC Game, although these two sides had previously met on Anzac
Day several times as early as the 1970s. Since 2009, an additional Anzac Day ga
me has been played between the Melbourne Storm and New Zealand Warriors.
New Zealand[edit]
Each year on ANZAC Day in Te Awamutu, New Zealand the graves of War Veterans are
decorated
New Zealand s Commemoration of Anzac Day[47] is similar. The number of New Zeala
nders attending Anzac Day events in New Zealand, and at Gallipoli, is increasing
. For some, the day adds weight to the idea that war is futile.[48]
Dawn Marches and other memorials nationwide are typically attended by the New Ze
aland Defence Force, the New Zealand Cadet Forces, members of the New Zealand Po
lice, New Zealand Fire Service, Order of St John Ambulance Service (Youth and Ad
ult Volunteers) as well as Scouting New Zealand, GirlGuiding New Zealand and oth
er uniformed community service groups including in most places the local Pipe Ba
nd to lead or accompany the March, and sometimes a Brass Band to accompany the h
ymns.
Anzac Day now promotes a sense of unity, perhaps more effectively than any other
day on the national calendar. People whose politics, beliefs and aspirations ar
e widely different can nevertheless share a genuine sorrow at the loss of so man
y lives in war.
Paper poppies are widely distributed by the Returned Services Association and wo
rn as symbols of remembrance. This tradition follows that of the wearing of popp
ies on Remembrance Sunday in other Commonwealth countries.[49]
The day is a public holiday in New Zealand. Shops are prohibited from opening be
fore 1 pm as per the Anzac Day Act 1966. A prior Act passed in 1949 prevented th
e holiday from being "Mondayised" (moved to the 26th or 27th should the 25th fal
l on a weekend),[50] although this drew criticism from trade unionists and Labou
r Party politicians.[51] In 2013 a bill was passed to Mondayise Anzac Day, the L
abour Party getting enough votes from other parties, despite Government oppositi
on.[52] Waitangi Day was Mondayised in the same bill.
Turkey[edit]
In Turkey the name "ANZAC Cove" was officially recognised by the Turkish governm
ent on Anzac Day in 1985. In 1934, Kemal Atatrk delivered the following words to
the first Australians, New Zealanders and British to visit the Gallipoli battlef
ields. This was later inscribed on a monolith at Ari Burnu Cemetery (ANZAC Beach
) which was unveiled in 1985. The words also appear on the Kemal Atatrk Memorial,
Canberra, and the Atatrk Memorial in Wellington:[53]
"Those heroes that shed their blood
And lost their lives.
You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country.
Therefore rest in peace.
There is no difference between the Johnnies
And the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side
Here in this country of ours.
You, the mothers,
Who sent their sons from far away countries
Wipe away your tears,
Your sons are now lying in our bosom
And are in peace
After having lost their lives on this land they have
Become our sons as well."[54]

In 1990, to mark the 75th anniversary of the Gallipoli landing, Government offic
ials from Australia and New Zealand (including Australian Prime Minister Bob Haw
ke[55][56] and New Zealand Governor-General Paul Reeves[57]) as well as most of
the last surviving Gallipoli veterans, and many Australian and New Zealand touri
sts travelled to Turkey for a special Dawn Service at Gallipoli. The Gallipoli D
awn Service was held at the Ari Burnu War Cemetery at Anzac Cove, but the growin
g numbers of people attending resulted in the construction of a more spacious si
te on North Beach, known as the "Anzac Commemorative Site" in time for the year
2000 service.
A ballot will be held to allocate passes for Australians and New Zealanders wish
ing to attend Anzac Day commemorations at Gallipoli in 2015. Of the 10,500 peopl
e that can be safely, securely and comfortably accommodated at the Anzac Commemo
rative Site, in 2015 this will comprise places for: 8000 Australians, 2000 New Z
ealanders and 500 official representatives of all nations involved in the Gallip
oli campaign. The ballot is open from 1 November 2013 - 31 January 2014. Austral
ians can apply at www.gallipoli2015.dva.gov.au [2] New Zealanders can apply at w
ww.gallipoli2015.govt.nz [3] Eligibility requirements apply for all places.
Other overseas ceremonies[edit]
Boys Brigade review on 25 April 2005 (Rarotonga)
The High Commissioners of Australia and New Zealand lay wreaths at an Anzac Day
ceremony at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.
Anzac Day dawn service at the New Zealand Memorial, Hyde Park Corner, London, 25
April 2008.
In Kanchanaburi, Thailand, a dawn service is held at Hellfire Pass, a rock cutti
ng dug by allied Prisoners of War and Asian labourers for the Thai-Burma Railway
. This cutting is where the greatest number of lives were lost during railway co
nstruction. The dawn service is followed by a "gunfire breakfast" (coffee with a
shot (or two) of rum) recalling the breakfast taken by many soldiers before f
acing battle. At 11 am a second ceremony is held at the main POW cemetery in the
city of Kanchanaburi, where 6,982 POWs are buried, mostly British, Australian,
Dutch and Canadians. Over the years, both services have been attended by some An
zac ex-POWs and their families travelling from Australia, as well as ambassadors
from the Australian and New Zealand consulates, the Kanchanaburi Provincial Gov
ernor, and others. The closest Saturday to Anzac Day also sees the ex-POWs atten
d an Australian Rules football match between the Thailand Tigers AFL club and a
team invited from neighbouring Asian countries.
In Newfoundland, Canada, the Gallipoli offensive is commemorated each year on 25
April by the Royal Newfoundland Regiment who hold a march from Government House
through the streets of St. John s ending at the National War Memorial. Members
of both the Australian and New Zealand armed forces are invited each year to par
ticipate in the march and wreath laying ceremonies. Other Canadian communities a
lso mark Anzac Day; Calgary has had a Cenotaph Service annually at Central Park
with participation from the local military.[58]
In London, England, a 5 am Dawn Service is held, alternating between the Austral
ian War Memorial, and the more recently constructed New Zealand War Memorial, bo
th of which are at Hyde Park Corner. The day is also marked by an 11 am Wreath L
aying Ceremony and Parade at The Cenotaph, Whitehall, which is attended by offic
ial representatives and veterans associations of Australia, New Zealand, the Uni
ted Kingdom and other countries. This is directly followed by a Service of Comme
moration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey.[59] All three events are usually
attended by a member of the Royal Family representing the Queen, and by the Hig
h Commissioners of Australia and New Zealand.[60] Anzac Day has been officially
observed in London since 1916, when King George V and Queen Mary attended the fi
rst commemorative service at the Abbey.[61]
In France in the towns of Le Quesnoy and Longueval[62] and in the town of Viller

s-Bretonneux (on the next closest weekend) because on 25 April 1918, the village
of Villers-Bretonneux was liberated by the Anzacs. The Australian Government ho
lds an annual dawn service[27] at the Australian National Memorial just outside
the small town of Villers-Bretonneux.
In French Polynesia, Anzac Day has been commemorated with an official ceremony h
eld in Papeete since 2006.[63] The 2009 ceremony was attended by French Polynesi
a President Oscar Temaru, who praised the "courage and liberty" of Australian an
d New Zealand soldiers in a statement.[63]
In Germany, Anzac Day is commemorated in Berlin, at the Commonwealth Kriegsgrber,
Charlottenburg. (Commonwealth War Graves).[64]
In Hong Kong, a simple dawn commemorative service is held at The Cenotaph (Hong
Kong) in Central, with a member of the Hong Kong Police Band playing the Last Po
st and Reveille from the balcony of the nearby Hong Kong Club.[65]
In Kiribati, Anzac Day is commemorated at the Coast Watchers Memorial on the isl
et of Betio, Tarawa, hosted by the New Zealand and Australian High Commissions.
In Cairo, Egypt, Anzac Day is remembered by the expatriate New Zealand and Austr
alian communities with a dawn ceremony held at the Old Cairo War Graves Cemetery
, Abu Seifen Street, Old Cairo. New Zealand and Australian Embassies rotate host
ing the service.
In South Sudan, Anzac Day is commemorated in the capital Juba at a dawn service
at DaVinci by the Nile River by expats and friends of Australia alike.
In the United States, Anzac Day is commemorated at the Los Angeles National Ceme
tery in Westwood, California. The New Zealand and Australian Consulates-General
rotate hosting the service. The largest expatriate community of New Zealanders a
nd Australians are in Southern California, hence this location. In New York a sm
all mid-morning tribute to Anzac Day is held in the roof garden in the British E
mpire Building in Rockefeller Plaza, 620 5th Avenue, overlooking St. Patrick s C
athedral, on the Sunday nearest 25 April; it is an annual tradition that has bee
n held at this locale since 1950. In Washington DC, Australian and New Zealand s
ervicemen and women observe Anzac Day at a dawn service at the Korean War Vetera
ns Memorial on 25 April each year. In Hawaii the Marine Corps hosts an Anzac Day
ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as "The Punchb
owl", where several dignitaries from many countries including Australia, New Zea
land, Canada, and the U.S. attend to commemorate the memory of all who have fall
en for their country. In Santa Barbara, California, Anzac Day is remembered by t
he expatriate Australian and New Zealand communities. In the absence of an offic
ial World War I remembrance, several dignitaries from many countries including A
ustralia, New Zealand and the U.S. attend an 11.11 am morning service held at th
e Elings Park Veteran s Memorial Walk on 25 April of each year.
In Ireland, Anzac Day is remembered by the expatriate New Zealand and Australian
communities. In the absence of an official World War I remembrance, and in hono
ur of Irish soldiers who fought and perished in the Dardanelles and elsewhere, A
nzac Day commemorations are also attended by members of veterans groups and hist
orical societies, including the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, O.N.E.T., the Royal Brit
ish Legion, UN Veterans, and more. Since the mid-1980s, an evening service has b
een organised by the New Zealand-Ireland Association,[66] which currently takes
place in St Ann s Church, Dawson St, Dublin 2. For the 90th anniversary in 2005,
a daylight service was held for the first time in the re-furbished Grangegorman
Military Cemetery, Dublin 7. A Turkish Hazel tree, planted by the Ambassadors o
f Australia, New Zealand and Turkey, commemorates this occasion. It can be found
to the south of the limestone Memorial Wall. Since this date, a dawn service ha
s been held at this location. At the Ballance House in County Antrim, the offici
al New Zealand centre in Northern Ireland, a midday Anzac reception and act of r
emembrance takes place.
In Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England, a March is held on the nearest Sunday to A
nzac Day. The service is held in a graveyard with several war graves of service
men from Australia and New Zealand. Veterans and cadets from the local ATC squad
ron attend.
In Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, an Anzac Day service is organised by the Oxford
University Australia New Zealand Society, and held at one of the college chapel

s. Australians, Kiwis, and Turkish students are all usually involved.

A service of remembrance to commemorate Anzac Day and Gallipoli is held at the N
ational Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, England, UK. This commences with a
service in the chapel followed by wreath laying at the Gallipoli memorial.
In Ypres Belgium, the ANZAC-Day Ceremony is held at the famous Menin Gate Memori
al at 11 A.M.
In Kuala Lumpur and Sandakan, Malaysia,[67] Anzac Day is a memorial day to honou
r the Australian, British, New Zealand and local soldiers who perished during th
e Second World War. A commemorative service will be held like Dawn Service and G
unfire Breakfast.
Criticism[edit]
Anzac Day has been criticised by a number of Australians and New Zealanders.[68]
[69] Radical socialists and pacifists have condemned Anzac Day since its incepti
on.[70] One early controversy occurred in 1960 with the publication of Alan Seym
our s classic play, The One Day of the Year,[71] which dramatised the growing so
cial divide in Australia and the questioning of old values. In the play, Anzac D
ay is critiqued by the central character, Hughie, as a day of drunken debauchery
by returned soldiers and as a day when questions of what it means to be loyal t
o a nation or Empire must be raised. The play was scheduled to be performed at t
he inaugural Adelaide Festival of Arts, but after complaints from the Returned S
ervices League, the governors of the Festival refused permission for this to occ
ur.[72]
In October 2008, former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating stated that he be
lieves it is misguided for people to gather each year at Anzac Cove to commemora
te the landing at Gallipoli, because it is "utter and complete nonsense" to sugg
est that the nation was "born again or even, redeemed there."[73] The then Austr
alian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd rejected Keating s views, saying the Gallipoli c
ampaign is "part of our national consciousness, it s part of our national psyche
, it s part of our national identity, and I, for one, as Prime Minister of the c
ountry, am absolutely proud of it."[74]
Criticisms of the revival of public participation in Anzac Day[edit]
Some critics have suggested that the revival in public interest in Anzac Day amo
ngst the young results from the fact that younger Australians have not themselve
s experienced war.[75][76][77] Critics see the revival as part of a rise of unre
flective nationalism in Australia which was particularly fostered by the then Au
stralian Prime Minister John Howard.[78][79][80][81][82][83][84]
For decades, there have been concerns that the participation of young people in
Anzac Day events has injected a carnival element into what is traditionally a so
lemn occasion. The change was highlighted by a rock concert-style performance at
the 2005 Anzac Cove commemoration during which attendees drank and slept betwee
n headstones. After the event the site was left strewn with rubbish.[85][86][87]
In 2013, historian Jonathan King expressed concern about the rising popularity
of Anzac Day, arguing that "escalating commercial pressures threaten to turn the
centenary [of the landing at Gallipoli] into a Big Day Out."[88]
Insufficient remembrance of the contribution of New Zealand[edit]
Other criticisms have revolved around a perceived overzealousness in Australian
attachment to the event, either from participants unaware of the loss or when th
e focus is at the expense of remembrance of the contribution of New Zealand.[88]
In 2005, then Prime Minister, John Howard was criticised for shunning the New Z
ealand Anzac ceremony at Gallipoli,[89] preferring instead to spend his morning
at a barbecue on the beach with Australian soldiers. In 2009, New Zealand histor
ians noted that some Australian children were unaware that New Zealand was a par
t of ANZAC.[90] In 2012 a New Zealand journalist caused controversy following co
mments that Australian World War I soldiers were bludgers and thieves.[91]
See also[edit]

Portal icon
Australia portal
Portal icon
New Zealand portal
Memorial Day
Alec Campbell, was the last living Australian ANZAC having served at Gallipoli[9
2]
Gallipoli Campaign
Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association
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External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Anzac Day.
Anzac Day Gallipoli 2015
Anzac Day: A Guide for New Zealanders
Commemorative Australian site
Australian Army s ANZAC Day web page
Listen to an excerpt from a simulated recording of Australian troops docking in
Egypt after their voyage from Australia to take part in the First World War on a
ustralianscreen online. This recording was added to the National Film and Sound
Archive s Sounds of Australia Registry in 2007
[show] v t e
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