It's important for all Australians to have the opportunity to understand and acknowledge the contribution of those who were responsible for the traditions of Anzac, and their stories of service and sacrifice.
There are many ways you can remember the personal sacrifice of people who served Australia in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations.
You might want to commemorate Australian veterans on a significant date or anniversary, such as:
- Anzac Day (25 April), the anniversary of the 1915 landing on Gallipoli
- Remembrance Day (11 November), the anniversary of the signing of the 1918 Armistice
Other ways to commemorate might be more personal, such as tracing the service history of a relative or recording the oral history of someone's wartime memories.
Play some music
Music is an integral part of commemorative events because it evokes strong feelings and memories. See music for ceremonies .
Watch a commemorative service
Broadcast national ceremony
On Anzac Day and Remembrance Day, a televised national service is held at the Australian War Memorial.
State or territory activities
Your state or territory government or RSL Branch might have planned a ceremony too. These events may not be open to the public.
Check local guides to see if any events will be shared on TV or online.
Share your story
We invite you to share your personal commemoration with other Australians. You can post stories of service, or share photos of how you are commemorating.
This Remembrance Day, share on social media who you will remember during the 1 minute’s silence using these hashtags:
#RemembranceDay2023
#LestWeForget
#WeRememberThem
You can also read other posts to follow the experiences of those who served Australia.
Join in commemorative activities
Look for ideas to commemorate Australian veterans at home. We've listed a few different ideas here. Check your local guides to see what's on in your area.
Check on a mate
It's an opportunity to invoke the Anzac value of mateship and check to see how a friend or family member is feeling.
Open Arms is open 24/7 for veterans or their family members to chat to someone. Call 1800 011 046 or visit www.openarms.gov.au
Help veterans and their families
Donations can support Australian veterans and their families in need.
Find an ex-service organisation
Help maintain official commemorations
Donations to the Office of Australian War Graves support the care of war graves, post-war official commemorations and official memorials.
Support our troops overseas
Send an email to express your support and thoughts to our troops. Emails are very much appreciated by Australian Defence Force members on operations.
Use the address supportthetroops@defence.gov.au
You can also donate to the RSL Australian Forces Overseas Fund. This fund sends care packages to Australian Defence Force members who are away from their families and friends, serving Australia, on Christmas Day and Anzac Day.
Returning home from war service, Flight Lieutenant AE Graham of Melbourne meets his young son. Graham enlisted in November 1941 under the Empire Air Training Scheme, and returned home in late 1945, taking his discharge in early 1946. (State Library of Victoria Argus newspaper collection image an014702
Involve the household
Many families have a tradition of attending a service on Anzac Day or Remembrance Day. If that's not possible, you can commemorate at home. Some ideas are:
- do an online commemorative activity
- bake Anzac biscuits, and learn about their history
- make poppies, and learn about their symbolism
- make a wreath, to remember those Australians who have died
- read wartime poetry, or write a poem together
- learn about the symbols of commemoration
- call a family member or friend who is a veteran, and ask if you can interview them about their experiences
Take a virtual tour
From the comfort of home, you can learn about the people who shaped the Kokoda Campaign through their service and sacrifice. Discover the Papua New Guinea Remembrance Trail. Wartime and service stories
You can learn a lot about the experience of Australians during wartime without leaving home.
View online collections and exhibitions on war memorial and museum websites:
- Australian War Memorial
- Australian National Maritime Museum
- National Anzac Centre
- National Vietnam Vets Museum
- Anzac Memorial, Sydney
- Anzac Square and Memorial Galleries, Brisbane
- RAAF Museum
- Royal Australian Navy Museums
- Shrine of Remembrance, Melbourne
- Sir John Monash Centre, France
- State War Memorial and Honour Avenues database, Perth
- The Soldiers Memorial Avenue, Hobart
- War Memorial, Adelaide
- Australians at War Film Archive
Read Australian military history and biographies from:
Trace a personal connection
You might find it interesting to research someone's military history. One way to do this is to explore the individual stories of veterans. You might find out when they enlisted and at what age, where they served, and how their service has been commemorated.
To start, you'll need to know some basic details, such as:
- full name
- date and place of birth
- armed service in which they served
- approximate year of enlistment
Depending on when they served, their defence records might be available online or on request from either the National Archives of Australia or the Department of Defence.
Take a look at our handy research guide.
Personal journeys
You can follow someone’s service journey by reading:
- personal diaries and letters, if you have them or they're publicly available
- unit and commanders' war diaries
- official war histories
- navy reports
- mentions in digitised Australian newspapers
You can also make a virtual visit to places where they served using products like Google Maps, as well as virtual tour websites and apps.
Discover Australia's veteran history
- Wars and peacekeeping missions involving Australia
- Stories of service
- Commemorative books
- Educational resources
Restore wartime memorabilia
You might own or look after significant material relating to Australia's war heritage. It's important that these items are preserved to allow future generations to understand and investigate wartime experiences.
See our book, Memories & Memorabilia.
Glossary
- enlist in
- veteran