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Why is
this day so special to Australians?
When war broke out in 1914 Australia had been a federal
commonwealth for only fourteen 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), 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. Though the
Gallipoli campaign failed in its military objectives of
capturing Constantinople and knocking Turkey out of the
war, the Australian and New Zealand troops' actions
during the campaign bequeathed an intangible but
powerful legacy. The creation of what became known as an
"Anzac legend" became an important part of the national
identity of both nations. This shaped the ways they
viewed both their past and their future.
Early commemorations
The date, 25 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. In London, over 2,000 Australian and New Zealand
troops marched through the streets of the city. 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 the
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, sly two-up games - were
firmly established as part of ANZAC Day culture.
With the coming of the Second World War, ANZAC Day
became a day on which to commemorate the lives of
Australians lost in that war as well, and 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 Australian War
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 Australian War 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. The half-light of dawn plays
tricks with soldiers' eyes and from the earliest times
the half-hour or so before dawn, with all its grey,
misty shadows, became one of the most favoured times for
an attack. Soldiers in defensive positions were
therefore woken up in the dark, before dawn, so that by
the time the first dull grey 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 dawn 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. The daytime
ceremony was for families and other well-wishers, the
dawn service was for old soldiers to remember and
reflect among the comrades with whom they shared a
special bond. Before dawn the gathered veterans would be
ordered to "stand to" and two minutes of 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, "The last post", a period of
silence, "The rouse" or "The reveille", and the National
Anthem. At the Australian War Memorial, following events
such as the ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day services,
families often place red poppies beside the names of
relatives on the Memorial's Roll of Honour.
Features of a commemorative ceremony
Commemorative ceremonies such as ANZAC Day and
Remembrance Day share many customs and traditions. Here
is more information about common features of a
commemorative ceremony:
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