Tomorrow, will be a very different Anzac Day, but it nonetheless remains an important and sacred day for our nation.
RSLs across Australia have had to make the difficult decision to cancel local Anzac Day services due to the current restrictions, but this will not stop us from remembering the Australians who have served and sacrificed for our nation.
At 6am tomorrow, show your support by standing at the front of your house or on your balcony and observing a minute’s silence.
And if you know a current or former member of the Australian Defence Force, reach out to them and let them know that you are thinking of them.
There will only be a handful of services held and the public has been asked not to attend these, but they will be televised, and I encourage everyone to watch from home (details are below).
This Anzac Day marks 102 years since the end of the Great War. A conflict that saw more than 60,000 Australians make the ultimate sacrifice.
Since that first convoy of servicemen left the shores of Albany in 1914, almost two million men and women have worn with pride the uniforms of the Royal Australian Navy, Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force and tomorrow, we remember them all.
We remember those that put their country first – our lives before their own. We remember them as they deserve to be remembered: “Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow”.
We celebrate them and what they stand for. We celebrate the great legacy of the Anzacs – a legacy that embodies the very sense of being an Australian: of mateship, of courage and of sacrifice.
Those values are never more important to reflect on than at this difficult time for our country.
On this Anzac Day, as we stand at dawn on our balconies or in our driveways, let us renew our commitment to nurture and protect our communities, our institutions and our nation.
Ours is a lucky country, let us not let our Anzacs’ sacrifice be in vain.
Lest we forget.
How to watch and listen this Anzac Day
Anzac Day specials, including a live stream of Victoria’s private dawn service at the Shrine of Remembrance, will be broadcast on radio and TV channels this Saturday, including:
3AW (693AM), commencing 5.00am
Seven (7 & 7HD), commencing 5.00am
ABC (774AM & ABCTV), commencing 5.30am
The RSL will be streaming a short commemorative service from 6.00am at rslanzacspirit.com.au
You can also tune into the Shrine of Remembrance live stream on Saturday at: https://www.facebook.com/shrineofremembrance