On Anzac Day, we pause to carve out a sacred moment from the noise of daily life and, together, acknowledge our debt to Australians who have gone to war in our name.

In every corner of the world made hallow by our fallen, and at marches and war memorials across Australia, from the biggest cities to the smallest country town, we gather in respect and reflection, gratitude and reverence, solemnity and pride.

One hundred and eleven years after the first Gallipoli landing, Anzac Day not only retains its hold on our hearts, it is alive and thriving thanks to a new generation, their imaginations seized by the gravity of all that was asked of Australians no older than them. 

From that most fateful of shores, Anzac Day has come to stand for generations of Australians who have served. It holds within it a universe of stories told in flesh and blood, in courage and fear, in resilience and camaraderie. Stories written in deserts and jungles, in cities and villages, in burning skies and seas and mud.

These are stories told in letters home, and in the tragic eloquence of letters that stopped coming. We find them in diaries that remain as alive today as when they were written, and as heartbreaking when they suddenly fall into the silent finality of empty pages.

Whether we’re at dawn services or watching the marches, we remember all who were lost and everyone they left behind.

We remember all who lived to keep fighting and all who finally made it home, but with the battle raging forever in their hearts.

We reflect on all they went through and all they were up against, and we give thanks for the difference they made just when the world needed it most.

It is story that continues to be written every single day. We give thanks to our veterans and for all you have given. We thank all Australians serving now, and we thank your families, who know both the pride and the burden.

Time and time again, Australians at war have embodied all that is greatest in our national character. And through the sheer power of their example, they have reminded us that even when peace seems elusive, it is always worth fighting for.

So we keep tending the flame of memory, ensuring its glow touches generations to come. And as night loosens its grip on the world, we await the light of the brighter dawn that was their promise to us.

Lest we forget.

This opinion piece was first published in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, 25 April 2026.