BellaOnline Forums Travel and Culture Australia Anzac Day

Yesterday (25 April) was Anzac Day. Here in Brisbane, it was bigger than ever. The Dawn Service in Anzac Square was packed - people were spilling out in the square on Ann Street (where the Centaph and Eternal Flame) on top and to Adelaide Street where the main square is. I was glad that I arrived about an hour early! The parade through Brisbane was also massively attended, and within the parade it was great to see serving Diggers, returned home from East Timor, the Solomon's & Iraq marching not only with their regiments, but also marching a second time with their Regimental Returned Services Association.

The only thing missing was our usual fly over of an F111 - no idea why it didn't happen this year and it was missed.

When I got home after the parade, I watched the Dawn Service from Gallipoli.

I don't know about the rest of the Aussies on the forum, but I always end up shedding a few tears on Anzac day. It doesn't glorify war, but it does show the utter futility of it, and the courage of those who do go to fight.

This year was very special, since it was the first one since my late Uncle (a career Soldier and Vietnam vet) died.

I saw it yesterday in TV news , it was about WW1, Australia& New Zealand VS Turkey.
I love any feast and happy parade too but guess Anzac day encourage people in favor of war maybe? I don't know much about Anzac day but saw it in news like as an army feast.

Hi babak

I'm glad you saw our TV news re Anzac Day. Unfortunately some people think that Anzac Day could be seen as a ...celebration of war...but it is not.

I'm sure in your country you remember your war dead too. My father was a young school teacher who volunteered to fight in WWII, when Japan was advancing towards Australia very quickly.

He was killed on 3 July 1945 in Borneo( not too long before the end of the war). Our family like to remember him on Anzac Day because we have no grave to visit, as do many other families who lost loved ones. Old soldiers also receive recognition on this day, because they put their lives on the line, for their country.

I believe Anzac Day shows how futile war is, how many lives were claimed by war, how many families suffer.

I hope and pray we have no more wars.

Thanks for your nice statement, so this day is nice day maybe.
For many people remembrance of their lost due to war, raise bad feeling as revenge, hostility and so on. Chinese and Korean still remember the brutality by Japanese army during WW2 and before that time.
Yeah Iranians also don't forget war with Iraq, it was really frustrating. In our entire family (my wife and me) haven't any lost due to war but have seen some people that suffered from this sore.

It is quite funny that Anzac Day never has glorified war - but it has glorified those who did answer their country's call.

It was pretty much summed up by the announcers in the Brisbane parade. They mentioned how it was great to see the younger soldiers who had served in Iraq, The Solomon Islands and East Timor marching not only withtheir current regiment, but also coming back and marching again with the returned veterans in their regimental associations. They then said how said it was that there were these young people who had served in a war zone.

The other incredible thing about Anzac Day, especially the services at Gallipoli in Turkey, is that it also honours the enemies then. In the Gallipoli service, wreaths are laid not only for the Australian and New zealand soldiers, but for the Turks who they were fighting and the Dawn Service each year is jointly run and organised by Australia, New Zealand and Turkey