The following information is from the Australian War Memorial. http://www.awm.gov.au/
 What is ANZAC Day?
ANZAC Day – 25 April – is probably Australia's most important national
occasion. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action
fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War.
ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The soldiers
in those forces quickly became known as ANZACs, and the pride they soon
took in that name endures to this day.
Why is this day special to Australians?
When war broke out in 1914 Australia had been
a federal commonwealth for only 14 years. The new national government
was eager to establish its reputation among the nations of the world.
In 1915 Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the allied
expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula to open the
way to the Black Sea for the allied navies. The plan was to capture
Constantinople (now Istanbul), the capital of the Ottoman Empire and an
ally of Germany. They landed at Gallipoli on 25 April, meeting fierce
resistance from the Turkish defenders. What had been planned as a bold
stroke to knock Turkey out of the war quickly became a stalemate, and
the campaign dragged on for eight months. At the end of 1915 the allied
forces were evacuated after both sides had suffered heavy casualties
and endured great hardships. Over 8,000 Australian soldiers were killed.
News of the landing at Gallipoli made a profound impact on Australians
at home and 25 April quickly became the day on which Australians remembered
the sacrifice of those who had died in war.
Although the Gallipoli campaign failed in its military objectives of
capturing Constantinople and knocking Turkey out of the war, the Australian
and New Zealand actions during the campaign bequeathed an intangible
but powerful legacy. The creation of what became known as the "ANZAC
legend" became an important part of the national identity of both
nations. This shaped the ways they viewed both their past and future.
Early commemorations
The date, 25 April, was officially named ANZAC Day in 1916 and 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.
In London over 2,000 Australian and New Zealand troops marched through
the streets. A London newspaper headline dubbed them "The knights of
Gallipoli". Marches were held all over Australia in 1916. Wounded
soldiers from Gallipoli attended the Sydney march in convoys of cars,
attended by nurses. For the remaining years of the war, ANZAC Day was
used as an occasion for patriotic rallies and recruiting campaigns, and
parades of serving members of the AIF were held in most cities.
During the 1920s ANZAC Day became established as a national day of
commemoration for the 60,000 Australians who died during the war. The
first year in which all states observed some form of public holiday
together on ANZAC Day was 1927. By the mid-1930s all the rituals we
today associate with the day – dawn vigils, marches, memorial services,
reunions, two-up games – were firmly established as part of ANZAC
Day culture.
With
the coming of the Second World War, ANZAC Day was used to also
commemorate the lives of Australians lost in that war. In subsequent
years the meaning of the day has been further broadened to include
Australians killed in all the military operations in which Australia
has been involved.
ANZAC Day was first commemorated at the Memorial in
1942 but, due to government orders preventing large public gatherings
in case of Japanese air attack, it was a small affair and was neither
a march nor a memorial service. ANZAC Day has been annually commemorated
at the Memorial ever since.
What does it mean today?
Australians recognise 25 April as an occasion of national commemoration.
Commemorative services are held at dawn – the time of the original landing –
across the nation. Later in the day, ex-servicemen and women meet and
join in marches through the major cities and many smaller centres. Commemorative
ceremonies are held at war memorials around the country. It is a day
when Australians reflect on the many different meanings of war.
Dawn Service
The Dawn Service observed on ANZAC Day has its origins in an
operational routine which is still observed by the Australian Army
today. During battle, the half-light of dawn was one of the most
favoured times for an attack. Soldiers in defensive positions were,
therefore, woken up in the dark, before dawn, so by the time first
light crept across the battlefield they were awake, alert, and manning
their weapons. This was, and still is, known as "stand-to". It was also
repeated at sunset.
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 landing at Gallipoli, a dawn stand-to or 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 services were originally very simple and followed the operational
ritual. In many cases they were restricted to veterans only and the daytime
ceremony was for families and other well-wishers. Before dawn the gathered veterans would
be ordered to "stand to" and two minutes' silence would
follow. At the end of this time a lone bugler would play the Last
Post and then concluded the service with Reveille.
In more recent times the 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, incorporating hymns, readings,
pipers, and rifle volleys. Others, though, have retained the simple format
of the dawn stand-to, familiar to so many soldiers.
The ANZAC Day ceremony
Each year the commemorations follow a pattern that is familiar to
each generation of Australians. A typical ANZAC Day service contains
the following features: introduction, hymn, prayer, an address, laying
of wreaths, recitation, Last Post, a period of silence,
Rouse or Reveille, and the national
anthem. At the Memorial, families often place red poppies
beside the names of relatives on the Memorial's Roll of Honour after events such as the
ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day services.
Features of a commemorative ceremony
Commemorative ceremonies, such as ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day, share
many customs and traditions , including:
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ANZAC Day (25 April) is observed in New Zealand as a day of commemoration
for those who died in the service of their country and to honour returned
servicemen and women.
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