Across Australia, millions paused at dawn to mark Anzac Day, reflecting not only on the soldiers who landed at Gallipoli in 1915 but on the more than two million Australians who have served the nation in the generations since. From capital cities to remote towns, stories of courage, sacrifice and mateship echoed through marches and ceremonies held throughout the morning.
For many, the day is deeply personal. Corporal Ryan Cripps, a combat medic who served in Afghanistan, travelled to Launceston with former army mates to march in honour of their fallen colleague, Richard Atkinson. “We were all combat team Charlie, part of the Jackals,” he said, recalling their first visit a decade ago with Atkinson’s brother and grandfather, a World War II veteran.
That sense of connection was shared by 17‑year‑old Catrina Maree Meldrum, who marched in the Darwin Dawn Service with her army cadet unit. She said Anzac Day took on new meaning once she stood among thousands paying tribute. “It’s part of history we’re always taught about, but you never really understand the importance until you’re at a ceremony and see the scale of the difference it made,” she said.
As wreaths were laid and the Last Post sounded, Australians young and old honoured those who served and those who continue to serve ensuring the Anzac legacy endures with each passing generation.
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