Australia, New Zealand honour military in Anzac Day memorial services

25/4/2025 17:02

Thousands gathered across Australia and New Zealand on Friday for Anzac Day, a public holiday commemorating military service members who fought and died during wartime.



Anzac Day originally marked the nations' role in an ultimately unsuccessful campaign to capture the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey during World War One, which resulted in 130,000 deaths on both sides of the conflict.



In a key episode on April 25, 1915, thousands of troops from the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) took part in an ill-fated amphibious invasion by British Empire forces on the area's narrow beaches.



Today, Anzac Day honours all Australian and New Zealand troops who have served in conflict.



One of the largest services marking the day, a public holiday in both nations, was held at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra where more than 26,000 attended. Services in state capitals Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide and Hobart also drew crowds.



Overseas, memorials were held at Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey, which has long drawn visitors from Australia and New Zealand, as well as at sites of wartime significance in France, Thailand, Papua New Guinea and Malaysia.