Last Friday, Australians gathered around the country and the world to commemorate Anzac Day.
At the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, tens of thousands of people attended the National Dawn Service. Thousands more took part in commemorative services in cities and towns, while others acknowledged Anzac Day at home.
Anzac Day services have been held around Australia since 1916. In fact, on 25 April that year, 2000 Anzacs marched through the streets of London to attend a commemorative service at Westminster Abbey. Their comrades in Egypt meanwhile held a games day.
Over the years, more and more Australians have made pilgrimages on Anzac Day to places where Australians have served, especially Gallipoli in Türkiye and Villers-Bretonneux in France.
This year, some 2,646 people gathered at Gallipoli to remember, while at the Australian National Memorial near Villers-Bretonneux, France, more than 1,981 people attended the Dawn Services. Services were also held at Sandakan in Malaysia, Hellfire Pass in Thailand and in Papua New Guinea.
It has been 110 years since the Australians, New Zealanders and Allied troops landed at Gallipoli. Since then, more than 1.5 million Australians have pulled on the uniform. To all those who are serving in the ADF or have done so in the past, thank you.
