It’s a time to honour Australian service personnel, past and present, who have served in wars, conflicts and peace operations.
Each year on 25 April we commemorate Anzac Day. It’s a time to honour Australian service personnel, past and present, who have served in wars, conflicts and peace operations. This Anzac Day marks the 110th year since the Gallipoli campaign.
Before dawn on 25 April 1915, the first soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps landed on the shores of the Gallipoli peninsula. The men were part of a British and French-led invasion. The Allies’ mission was to destroy Turkish guns that were preventing naval ships from reaching and bombarding the Turkish capital, Constantinople. If they succeeded, Türkiye might be forced out of the war, and Germany would lose an important ally.
Some 2,000 Australians were killed or wounded on 25 April. It was a day of confusion and fear. One soldier called it ‘a day of sorrow’ as he remembered the dead and wounded. At Anzac Cove, the Australians were the first to land. The New Zealanders followed later in the day. They advanced about a mile in some places, less in others, but they could go no further. For the next 8 months, the campaign was a stalemate. In December, the Anzacs were evacuated. By then, about 8,700 Australians and almost 2,700 New Zealanders had been killed. They were some of at least 130,000 soldiers on both sides who lost their lives at Gallipoli.
Anzac Day has been one of the most important dates on Australia’s calendar since 1916. At first, it allowed people to honour the original Anzacs – the Australians and New Zealanders who fought at Gallipoli. Then it became a day for those who had served in the First World War. With Australians experiencing the Second World War, and the wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations that have followed, Anzac Day has become an occasion to honour all who have worn our country’s uniform in service. Today, we reflect on that service. We recognise more than 100,000 Australian service personnel who have lost their lives in military operations carried out in our country’s name. We honour the values that have been invested in the original Anzacs – loyalty, selflessness, courage – and the ways in which later generations have measured their own achievements against those of the soldiers and nurses who served at Gallipoli.
Click here to read more about the history of the Anzac.
Personal journeys
You can follow someone’s service journey by reading:
- personal diaries and letters, if you have them or they're publicly available
- unit and commanders' war diaries
- official war histories
- navy reports
- mentions in digitised Australian newspapers
You can also make a virtual visit to places where they served using products like Google Maps, as well as virtual tour websites and apps.
Discover Australia's veteran history
The Many Days of Anzac short film
A history of Anzac commemoration in Australia. This documentary film dives into the ABC archives of Anzac Day coverage to tell the story of how Australians created Anzac traditions and rituals by which we remember those who fought. Hosted by Mark Lee. Rated PG in Australia.
Program Credits
Co-produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Presented and narrated by Mark Lee.
For more information visit the Anzac Portal: Sharing Australia's military and service history through the experiences of our veterans from the Department of Veteran’s Affairs.