2014

We will remember them

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Did you know?

25th April was officially named ANZAC Day in 1916;

 in that year it was marked by a wide variety

 of ceremonies and services in Australia, 

a march through London,

 and a sports day in the Australian camp in Egypt.

During the 1920s, ANZAC Day became established 

as a national day of commemoration for the

 60,000 Australians who died during the war.

 All the States observed a public holiday

 on ANZAC Day from 1927.

By the mid-1930s the rituals we associate with the day 

- dawn vigils, marches, services, reunions, two-up

 - were part of ANZAC Day culture.

The Dawn Service has its origins in a routine

 which is still observed by the Australian Army.

 The half-light of dawn is one of the

 most favoured times for an attack. 

 Soldiers in defensive positions were 

therefore woken up in the dark so that by the time

 the first light crept across the battlefield they were alert. 

This is known as "Stand-to".

The first Dawn Service was held

 at the Sydney Cenotaph in 1927.

 Dawn services were originally very simple

 and were often restricted to veterans. 

The daytime ceremony was for families and well-wishers,

 the Dawn Service was for old soldiers

 to remember and reflect.

In recent times families and young people

 have been encouraged to take part,

 and services in capital cities have seen

 some of the largest turnouts ever. 

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And the band played Waltzing Matilda

Shelter

Australian National Anthem

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Turkey National Anthem

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New Zealand National Anthem