More than a century after the end of World War I, the thousands of Australians killed in the Great War and later conflicts have been remembered across the country.
Australians paused at 11 a.m. to mark Remembrance Day and commemorate the 103,000 Australians who lost their lives in wars and peacekeeping operations.
The national event at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra was the first to be held without COVID-19 social restrictions since 2019, attracting hundreds of people, including veterans, their families and schoolchildren.
Previously known as Armistice Day to commemorate the signing of the peace agreement that ended World War I, Remembrance Day honours all Australians who lost their lives in conflicts.
“We pause here in silence to reflect on this day when the guns finally fell silent on the Western Front in 1918,” keynote speaker, businessman and former War Memorial chair Kerry Stokes said.
“Immersed in the spirit of those who have given their all, their lives, for us in war, in peacekeeping and in humanitarian assistance.”
New South Wales governor Margaret Beazley led Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, veterans royal commissioner Peggy Brown and other dignitaries in the laying of wreaths at Sydney’s Martin Place.
Rear Admiral Jonathan Earley, Commander Australian Fleet, said those killed in action had not died in vain.
“Their service in the direct defence of Australia reminds us of what matters: that whatever the cost the price of liberty is worth paying,” he said.
“It is incumbent on us to guard jealously those freedoms we enjoy and which they died to protect.”
Albanese told reporters after the service it had been an honour to attend the ceremony.
“We must always remember the brave men and women who have defended our nation at our time of need, who have made the ultimate sacrifice,” he said.
Victorian Governor Linda Dessau noted it was the first Remembrance Day since the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
“I think of her in 1940, as a 14-year-old girl, delivering her first public address on radio, to the young people affected by World War II,” the governor said.
“She said to them: ‘And when peace comes, remember it will be for us, the children of today, to make the world of tomorrow a better and happier place.’
“Sadly, humankind has not yet perfected the making of the world a permanently better and happier place.
“High hopes after previous wars—when the pain and grief of what was endured was firmly and freshly front of mind—have, many times, been dashed. We have been reminded by tragic world events this year that peace is fragile.”
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, who attended a ceremony in his Brisbane electorate, said it was a “simple, sacred and significant custom.”
“We pay tribute to all Australians who have served in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations from Federation through to the present day,” he said.
“On Remembrance Day, we thank all those who fought to secure peace from conflict, and we acknowledge all those who have served tirelessly to prevent conflict through the preservation of peace.”
This year marked several significant milestones, including the 50th anniversary of the end of national service and 75 years of Australia’s involvement in peacekeeping operations.
Red poppies, traditionally worn on Remembrance Day, lit up the sails of the Sydney Opera House at dawn ahead of the service and in the evening.
In Melbourne, bugle players were stationed at 16 CBD intersections to play the Last Post at 11 a.m., while landmarks like Federation Square, the MCG and Melbourne Town Hall were lit up in red.
