ANZAC DAY Commemorative Service in Suva

JOINT MEDIA RELEASE

ANZAC DAY Commemorative Service in Suva

24 April 2012

ANZAC Day in Suva this year will be celebrated with a dawn commemorative service tomorrow morning at the Australian High Commission.

Australians and New Zealanders in Suva will stand together with members from the diplomatic corps, the Fiji Returned Servicemen’s Association and other invited guests to mark the occasion.

ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.ANZAC Day, which falls on 25 April each year, commemorates the start of the Gallipoli campaign, by the end of which Australia had lost almost 9000 men and New Zealand nearly 2500.A further 20,000 Australians and 5000 New Zealanders were wounded.

“ANZAC Day for Australians is a day when we acknowledge the courage, mateship and, above all, the sacrifice demonstrated by Australians and New Zealanders in the face of great odds at Gallipoli,” said Acting Australian High Commissioner, Mr Glen Miles.

“It’s also a time when we honour our servicemen and women who have served and fallen in other conflicts as well as those serving today.In Australia, there will be wreath-layingceremonies across the country, while at Gallipoli we expect around 15,000 Australians and New Zealanders to gather to commemorate those that fell that fateful day,” Mr Miles said.

ANZAC Day is a special day in the Australian and New Zealand calendar.

“The traditional dawn service gives us the opportunity to pay tribute to those who have given their lives in the service of their country, to honour our returned servicemen and women, and to acknowledge those currently serving around the world,.” Mr Phillip Taula, Head of Mission at the New Zealand High Commission said.

“The Gallipoli campaign marked the forging of a distinct sense of nationhood for both our countries, which continues to resonate today. We see this is in the large numbers of Australians and New Zealanders, including many of our young people, who will be joining together in ceremonies across our two countries, at Gallipoli and other places, including Suva. This is a time for remembrance and reflection,” Mr Taula said.

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