N Z A C D A Y . 2 5 A P R I L , 2 0 2 3 the sacrifice , lest we forget
At the time , government orders prohibited large public gatherings in case of a Japanese air attack , so it was a small occasion with neither a march nor a memorial service . Since then , Anzac Day has been commemorated at the Memorial every year .
What does it mean today ?
Australians recognise 25 April as a day of national remembrance , which takes two forms . Commemorative services are held across the nation at dawn – the time of the original landing , while later in the day , former servicemen and servicewomen meet to take part in marches through the country ’ s major cities and in many smaller centres . Commemorative ceremonies are more formal , and are held at war memorials around the country . In these ways , Anzac Day is a time at which Australians reflect on the many different meanings of war . The Dawn Service It is often suggested that the Dawn Service observed on Anzac Day has its origins in a military routine still followed by the Australian Army . The half-light of dawn was one of the times favoured for launching an attack . Soldiers in defensive positions were woken in the dark before dawn , so by the time first light crept across the battlefield they were awake , alert , and manning their weapons ; this is still known as the “ stand-to ”. As dusk is equally favourable for battle , the stand-to was repeated at sunset .
After the First World War , returned soldiers sought the comradeship they had felt in those quiet , peaceful moments before dawn . A dawn vigil became the basis for commemoration in several places after the war . It is difficult to say when the first dawn services were held , as many were instigated by veterans , clergymen , and civilians from all over the country . A dawn requiem mass was held at Albany as early as 1918 , and a wreath laying and commemoration took place at dawn in Toowoomba the following year .
In 1927 a group of returned men returning at dawn from an Anzac Day function held the night before came upon an elderly woman laying flowers at the as yet unfinished Sydney Cenotaph . Joining her in this private remembrance , the men later resolved to institute a
25 April 1916 : Australian and New Zealand troops marching down Whitehall London to Westminster Abbey . Collection Item C1084383 Accession Number : P04497.004 .
dawn service the following year . Some 150 people gathered at the Cenotaph in 1928 for a wreath laying and two minutes ’ silence . This is generally regarded as the beginning of organised dawn services . Over the years the ceremonies have developed into their modern forms and have seen an increased association with the dawn landings of 25 April 1915 . The National Ceremony At the Australian War Memorial , the National Ceremony begins with the traditional order of service , including the veteran ’ s march , Commemorative Address , laying of wreaths , hymns , the sounding of the Last Post , and observance of one minute ’ s silence , and the national anthems of New Zealand and Australia .
Attend the 2023 Anzac Day Dawn Service and March in Sydney
The Anzac Day Dawn Service will be held at The Cenotaph in Martin Place , Sydney from 4:20am to 5:30am on Tuesday 25 April 2023 .
The Dawn Service will be followed by the Anzac Day March , which takes place along Elizabeth Street in the Sydney CBD . There are many locations to view the March on both sides of Elizabeth Street .
The March commences at 9am and will conclude at midday .
The public is invited to attend the Service and March in person , or will be able to watch the events from home on TV and online . Broadcast details will be advised closer to the day .
For more information of ceremonies in the local area , please visit the RSL NSW www . rslnsw . org . au .
[ Article Courtesy of https :// www . awm . gov . au / commemoration / anzac-day / traditions ]
At the going down of the sun and in the morning , we will remember them .
Lest We Forget
HAWKESBURY • HILLS DISTRICT • BLACKTOWN CITY
INDEPENDENT
Crowds line the route of the Anzac Day National Ceremony march , 25 April 2011 .
BLACKTOWN CITY INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine . com . au ISSUE 25 // APRIL 2023 21