Anzac Day - April 25 - goes beyond the anniversary of the landing on Gallipoli in 1915. It is the day we remember all Australians who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations. The spirit of Anzac, with its human qualities of courage, mateship, and sacrifice, continues to have meaning and relevance for our sense of national identity. On Anzac day, ceremonies are held in towns and cities across the nation to acknowledge the service of our veterans.
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In Canberra, the Memorial, in close cooperation with RSL ACT, hosts the Dawn Service and the National Anzac Day Ceremony.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commemorative Ceremony will be held after the Anzac Day Dawn Service at the Aboriginal Memorial plaque on the side of Mount Ainslie.
PRE-DAWN SERVICE
From midnight 24 April 2013. Anzac Day will begin with images projected onto the Memorial building: photographs of Australian servicemen and women, accompanied by the names of iconic battlefields from over a century of conflict. More than 150 images, drawn from the Memorial’s rich photographic collection, will depict the faces of those who have experienced the realities of war. The names of battlefields, from the Boer War through to Gallipoli to the Chora Valley, across land, sea and air, will represent the breadth of Australian wartime experience.
4.30am: Leith Arundel, a local Canberra actor, will read excerpts from letters and diaries of Australians who experienced first-hand war in all its facets.
5am: Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith VC MG will read emotive accounts of Australian service in Afghanistan.
5.15am: All will be quite before the Dawn Service commences in darkness at 5.30am.
DAWN SERVICE
5.30am-6am: Suggested arrival: from 4.30am onwards on the Parade Ground at the front of the Memorial. We recommend being on the Parade ground before 5.15am.
The Memorial’s Commemorative Area will open 15 minutes after the Service concludes, and remain open until 8am. Here the public can view the Tri-Service Guard mounted at the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier.
The Hall of Memory will be open during this time, giving visitors the opportunity to lay a poppy on the Tomb.
ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER COMMEMORATIVE CEREMONY
The ceremony will be held after the Anzac Day Dawn Service at the Aboriginal Memorial plaque on the side of Mount Ainslie. The ceremony will commence at 6.30am.
This commemorative ceremony is conducted to remember those Indigenous Australians who have served in the Australian forces since 1901. It is hosted by members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Veterans and Services Association Australia (ATSIVSAA), an Indigenous veterans advocacy group, and is open to all members of the public.
For further information, please call Garth O’Connell, who is National Secretary of ATSIVSAA, (02) 6243 4513 or email garth.o’connell@awm.gov.au
NATIONAL ANZAC DAY CEREMONY
The National Anzac Day Ceremony will run from 10.15am – 12 noon. Suggested arrival time is 9.45am. Guests with entrée cards are required to be seated by 10am.
Standing room for the public will be provided on the day. Members of the public are welcome to bring chairs or rugs. The Memorial will open 15 minutes after the completion of the National Ceremony, and will remain open until 5pm. The public may view the Tri-Service Guard mounted at the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier. You are invited to lay a single poppy at the Tomb at the completion of the ceremony.
Visitors are asked to note this general information:
Visitors are invited to lay a poppy on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier after the ceremony.
Poppies will be on sale at the conclusion of the ceremony.
Members of the general public are welcome to bring their own seats or rugs.
The Memorial will open after the ceremony at approximately 12.30pm.
VETERANS' MARCH
All enquiries regarding the Veterans’ march should be directed to the RSL ACT (02) 6260 6344. TheReturned and Services League Australian Capital Territory Branch website also has information about the march.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Road closures
Motorists are advised to note the following road closures effective from 4am-1pm on Anzac Day.
Limestone and Fairbairn Avenues between junctions of Treloar Cresent, East and West
Anzac Parade (both carriageways) from Limestone Avenue and Fairbairn Avenue to Constitution Avenue
Currong Street and Blamey Cresent at Anzac Parade
Parking and transportation
There will be road closures in effect from 3.30am, which will limit public access to parking at the Memorial. The large number of visitors in attendance at the ceremony will also limit the amount of available parking on site.
There will be a shuttle service from Russell Offices (Sir Thomas Blamey Square) to the Australian War Memorial running from 8.30am until 10am, and return shuttles to Russell Offices commencing at approximately 12.15pm following the ceremony. All visitors are encouraged to use this service and park at the Russell Offices.
ACTION Buses will provide a free bus service to the Anzac Day Dawn Service, departing from all major bus stations.
Opening hours for the Memorials cafes:
The Terrace at the Memorial: 6am-4.30pm
The Landing Place: 12noon-4.30pm
5.15am: Meet at the Queanbeyan RSL building for the dawn service.
9am: Ex-service section, lawn cemetery wreath-laying.
9.45am: Boer War Memorial commemorative service.
10am: Assemble at RSL building for march to First World War Memorial.
10.30am: First World War memorial service.
11.15am: Second World War memorial service.
Braidwood
5.30am: Dawn service at the memorial, corner Kings Highway and Wilson Street.
10.15am: March in the main street followed by a commemorative ceremony at the memorial in Ryrie Park.
Bungendore
6am: Dawn service at the war memorial on Gibraltar Street. Followed by breakfast at St Phillip's Hall.
10.45am: March from the western end of Gibraltar Street.
11am: Main service at the war memorial.
Yass
5.25am: Dawn service at the Yass Soldiers Memorial Hall, with breakfast served after.
10.45am: March down Comne Street from Lead Street to Soldiers Memorial Hall.
11am: Main service at the Yass Cenotaph in front of the Soldiers Memorial Hall.
Gundaroo
5.30am: Dawn service at the war memorial at the corner Cork and Harp streets.
Goulburn
5.30am: Dawn service at Belmore Park. Assemble at the honour roll at 5am.
6am: Breakfast at the Soldiers Club for dawn service and war graves attendees.
9am: Memorial church services at St Saviour's Cathedral and Sts Peter and Paul's Cathedral.
11am: March commences along Auburn Street. Mid-morning commemorative service will commence at the honour roll in Belmore Park at the conclusion of the march.
12.30pm: Luncheon at the Soldiers Club for veterans, ex-servicemen and women, members and ex-members of the Australian Defence Force, and Allied Servicemen and Women. Entry to the luncheon is by ticket only.
Cooma
5.30am: Dawn service at the cenotaph followed by breakfast at the Cooma Ex-Services Club.
10.30am: Memorial march from Mack's Corner to the cenotaph, followed by commemorative service.
2pm: Two-up at the Ex-Services Club.
Jindabyne
6am: Dawn service at Banjo Patterson Park, followed by breakfast by the Lions Club.
9.30am: March from the Old Town Centre to the Jindabyne Memorial Hall, followed by commemorative service and a morning tea.
Gundagai
6am: Dawn service at Anzac Grove.
10.30am: March up Sheridan Street to the main cenotaph.
Gunning
5.30am: Dawn service at the Gunning Cenotaph, followed by breakfast.
10.45am: March from the Shell Service Station to the cenotaph.
11am: Main service at the cenotaph.
