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Landing at Gallipoli
Thousands lost their lives in the Gallipoli campaign: 87,000 Turks, 44,000 men from France and the British Empire, including 8500 Australians. To this day, Australia also marks the events of 25 April. Among the dead were 2779 New Zealanders, about a fifth of those who served on Gallipoli. -
A Public Holiday
The status of Anzac Day was not clear until the early 1920s. Peace was celebrated from 19 to 21 July 1919, but there was no official day of commemoration for the war... In 1920 the government responded to Returned Services’ Association (RSA) lobbying for 25 April to be declared a holiday... -
The Dawn Parade
The dawn parade, commemorating both the time of the initial landings at Gallipoli and the routine dawn stand-to in the trenches, was an Australian idea. It was widely adopted in New Zealand from 1939 (although some centres, such as Whanganui, had included dawn parades in their commemorations for several years before this). The cold and darkness breaking into sunrise added to the symbolism of the occasion. -
Post-War ANZAC Day
The events of the Second World War made Anzac Day a time of commemoration of all the wars in which New Zealanders had taken part. Veterans from both world wars now paraded together. The day became inter-generational. Māori veterans were more in evidence too. In all, the day seemed to reflect the ideal of New Zealand as a united community. Attendance at the ceremonies increased; 6000 people attended the dawn service in Auckland in 1957. -
100 Years of ANZAC
The red poppy has become a symbol of war remembrance the world over. People in many countries wear the poppy to remember those who died in war or who still serve. In many countries, the poppy is worn around Armistice Day (11 November), but in New Zealand it is most commonly seen around Anzac Day, 25 April.
