The Australian War Memorial
The Australian War Memorial combines a shrine, a world-class museum, and
an extensive archive. The Memorial's purpose is to commemorate the
sacrifice of those Australians who have died in war. Its mission is to
assist Australians to remember, interpret and understand the Australian
experience of war and its enduring impact on Australian society.
The
memorial’s gallery is home to one of the world’s greatest military collections
and a vast amount of information is on display about Australia’s military
history.
Commemorative wreath laying ceremonies often take place at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider, which contains the remains of an unidentified Australian soldier, as a symbol of all Australians who have been killed in war.
Commemorative wreath laying ceremonies often take place at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider, which contains the remains of an unidentified Australian soldier, as a symbol of all Australians who have been killed in war.
The War Memorial's biggest day is Anzac day which is a national day of
rememberance in Australia and New Zeland commemorated on the 25th of
April. This honours the members of the Australian and New Zeland Army
Corps who fought at Gallipoli in Turkey during World War 1.
After the First World War, returned soldiers sought the comradeship
they felt in those quiet, peaceful moments before dawn. With symbolic
links to the dawn landing at Gallipoli, a dawn stand-to or dawn ceremony
became a common form of Anzac Day remembrance during the 1920s.
The first official dawn service was held at the Sydney Cenotaph in 1927. Dawn services were originally very simple and followed the operational ritual; in many cases they were restricted to veterans only. The daytime ceremony was for families and other well-wishers and the dawn service was for returned soldiers to remember and reflect among the comrades with whom they shared a special bond.
Before dawn the gathered veterans would be ordered to "stand-to" and two minutes of silence would follow. At the start of this time a lone bugler would play "The Last Post" and then concluded the service with "Reveille". In more recent times the families and young people have been encouraged to take part in dawn services, and services in Australian capital cities have seen some of the largest turnouts ever. Reflecting this change, the ceremonies have become more elaborate, incorporating hymns, readings, pipers and rifle volleys. Others, though, have retained the simple format of the dawn stand-to, familiar to so many soldiers.
Typical modern dawn services follow a pattern that is now familiar to generations of Australians, containing the following features: introduction, hymn, prayer, an address, laying of wreaths, recitation, the playing of "The Last Post", a minute of silence, "Reveille", and the playing of both New Zealand and Australian national anthems. At the Australian War Memorial, following events such as the Anzac Day and Remembrance Day services, families often place artificial red poppies beside the names of relatives on the Memorial's Roll of Honour. In Australia, sprigs of rosemary are often worn on lapels and in New Zealand poppies have taken on this role.
The first official dawn service was held at the Sydney Cenotaph in 1927. Dawn services were originally very simple and followed the operational ritual; in many cases they were restricted to veterans only. The daytime ceremony was for families and other well-wishers and the dawn service was for returned soldiers to remember and reflect among the comrades with whom they shared a special bond.
Before dawn the gathered veterans would be ordered to "stand-to" and two minutes of silence would follow. At the start of this time a lone bugler would play "The Last Post" and then concluded the service with "Reveille". In more recent times the families and young people have been encouraged to take part in dawn services, and services in Australian capital cities have seen some of the largest turnouts ever. Reflecting this change, the ceremonies have become more elaborate, incorporating hymns, readings, pipers and rifle volleys. Others, though, have retained the simple format of the dawn stand-to, familiar to so many soldiers.
Typical modern dawn services follow a pattern that is now familiar to generations of Australians, containing the following features: introduction, hymn, prayer, an address, laying of wreaths, recitation, the playing of "The Last Post", a minute of silence, "Reveille", and the playing of both New Zealand and Australian national anthems. At the Australian War Memorial, following events such as the Anzac Day and Remembrance Day services, families often place artificial red poppies beside the names of relatives on the Memorial's Roll of Honour. In Australia, sprigs of rosemary are often worn on lapels and in New Zealand poppies have taken on this role.
Entry to the Australian War Memorial is free and tours of the memorial are available.
Images with thanks to Google Images
