A dawn service and ANZAC Day commemoration will be held at 6am on Tuesday 25 April at the cenotaph near the Banyan Tree, Mataranka. This will be followed by a gunfire breakfast at the Mataranka Sport and Recreation grounds.
For further information, please contact the Mataranka Council Office.
About ANZAC Day
Australians commemorate Anzac Day on 25 April every year. This is the anniversary of the day when Australian and New Zealand soldiers landed on Gallipoli in 1915 as part of the Allies' invasion.
Anzac Day is a time for all Australians to recognise the more than 1.5 million service men and women who have served our country in all conflicts, wars and peacekeeping operations. It's also a time to remember the over 103,000 Australians who sacrificed their lives in our country's name.
In towns and cities across Australia and around the world, Australians attend services to:
- salute the service and sacrifice of the men and women who have worn our country's uniform
- recognise the men and women who are currently serving overseas
- acknowledge the impact this has on them and their family and friends who remain at home.
The Anzac Day dawn service has its origins in the Army's 'stand-to' routine. This is when soldiers in the front line guarded their posts at dawn, a time when attacks were often launched.
After World War I, many returned soldiers missed the comradeship they felt at these times. This is why a dawn ceremony became their preferred form of remembrance on Anzac Day. The tradition also has a symbolic link to the dawn landing on Gallipoli.