ANZAC DAY: 110 Years Since Gallipoli

This year marks 110 years since Gallipoli.

Key points:

In 2015, on the 100^th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings, Brisbane’s Noreen Baxter shared with Seven West Media what her father, veteran George Green, endured at the Turkish peninsula on April 25, 1915.

“He was one of the first to land,” she said. “He just fought. Dad was wounded four times. He carried shrapnel in his back for the rest of his life.”

Australians and New Zealanders will pause to remember soldiers like George Green this coming Anzac Day on April 25.

Australians and New Zealanders will pause to remember soldiers this coming Anzac Day on April 25.

This year, the date marks 110 years since the Gallipoli landings, and commemorations are being held across the country.

“Anzac Day is a time for all Australians to recognise the more than 1.5 million service men and women who have served our country in all conflicts, wars and peacekeeping operations,” the Department of Veteran Affairs said in a statement.

“It’s also a time to remember the over 103,000 Australians who sacrificed their lives in our country’s name.”

National Dawn Service

In Canberra, the Australian War Memorial (AWM) will mark both the 110th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings, as well as commemorating the Australians who have served in conflicts and peacekeeping campaigns around the world.

The program includes:
5:30 am: Dawn Service.
7:30am: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Veterans and Services Association Commemorative Ceremony.
9.30am: National Commemorative Service including the RSL ACT Branch Veterans’ March.
6pm: Last Post Ceremony.

Anzac Day “is one of Australia’s most important national occasions.” – Australian War Memorial

The AWM states that Anzac Day “is one of Australia’s most important national occasions. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War.”

For more information visit here.

Brisbane Dawn Service

Anzac Day is most poignantly acknowledged through Dawn Services in Australia and New Zealand.

The dawn of April 25 marks the moment at which the first Australians waded ashore at the now-named Anzac Cove, in Gallipoli, in 1915.

In Brisbane, the Dawn Service is held at 4.28am sharp at Brisbane City’s Shrine of Remembrance, Anzac Square, located between Ann and Adelaide Streets.

Brisbane Parade

Brisbane’s iconic Anzac Day Parade will be held on Adelaide Street, between George Street and Creek Street, from 9.45am-12.30pm and will feature former and current Australian Defense Force veterans and other groups that contribute to the parade.

People are invited to watch the march along Adelaide Street to “show their support for the brave men and women who have served their country, and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice or suffered as a result of their service.”

Veterans and citizens unable to attend the parade are invited to watch the event on ABC TV.

Sunshine Coast

One of the biggest Anzac Day drawcards for the Sunshine Coast is the RSL Service at Bli Bli.

It takes place at 9am at the Bli Bli Cenotaph and Avenue of Honour, Parklakes Drive, Bli Bli.

Local veteran Dan Penman is one of the people responsible for the ongoing maintenance of the Avenue of Honour precinct.

“It’s going to be such a special day,” he told Sunshine Coast Magazine.

Gold Coast

Set in front of the stunning Currumbin Beach, the Currumbin RSL Dawn Service is one of the Gold Coast’s largest Anzac Day events.

It starts with a march at 4:35am before the 5am service.

For those who prefer a sleep in, there’s another march at 10.55am.

To find a local dawn or ANZAC Day service in your local area, visit the RSL Queensland website.

Customs and traditions

Anzac Day has many customs and traditions, some of which are shared with Remembrance Day on November 11 (the anniversary of the the First World War’s Armistice of 1918).

Last Post

One of the most iconic customs is the Last Post bugle call, which is heard at Dawn Services.

In military tradition, the Last Post signifies the end of the day’s activities. But it is also sounded at military funerals, Anzac Day and Remembrance Day.

Laying of wreaths

Flowers have always been laid on graves and memorials in memory of the dead and for Anzac Day it is no different. They are often left at memorials and cenotaphs.

In recent years, the poppy flower, which has long been associated with Remembrance Day, has also been used in wreaths on Anzac Day.

The poppy has long been a part of Remembrance Day.

A minute’s silence is included in most Anzac Day ceremonies as a sign of respect.

“During the First World War, red poppies were among the first plants to spring up in the devastated battlefields of northern France and Belgium,” read an AWM statement.

“In soldiers’ folklore, the vivid red of the poppy came from the blood of their comrades soaking the ground.”

The sight of poppies on a battlefield inspired Canadian Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae to write the famous poem, In Flanders Fields.

Moment to reflect

A minute’s silence is also included in most Anzac Day ceremonies as a sign of respect.

It is believed the idea for a moment of silence originated with Melbourne journalist and First World War veteran Edward George Honey, who was living in London in 1919.

According to the AWM, “He wrote a letter to the London Evening News in which he appealed for five-minutes’ silence, to honour the sacrifice of those who had died during the war.”

Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.

About the author: Michael Crooks is a senior journalist and former news editor of Who magazine. His work has appeared in People, Marie Claire, The Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, news.com.au, Qantas magazine and more.

Featured image: Photos by CanvaPro