With the Anzac Day 2021 long weekend nearly upon us, there are a host of things on across the Canberra region to recognise the men and women who have served and are serving in the Australian Defence Forces.
Traditionally, most retail stores and centres will remain closed on Sunday 25 April until 1pm.
23-24 April
Evening and pre-dawn projections
On the evenings of Friday 23 and Saturday 24 April, images drawn from the Australian War Memorial’s photograph collection will be projected onto the Memorial building.
With a total of 257 different images to be projected, the light display will be shown from dusk until midnight, with no ticketing required.
The projections will be shown again prior to the Dawn Service on 25 April.
NFSA
The National Film and Sound Archive is hosting an Anzac Day 2021 season, with a screening of They Shall Not Grow Old on 23 April at 2.30pm, and The Bridge on the River Kwai on 24 April at 2pm.
Tickets cost $12 ($10 for concession holders), click here for more.
CIT floristry Anzac display
Floristry students from Canberra Institute of Technology have created unique floral designs based on their research into Anzac stories.
The CIT Floristry Anzac Display is being shown at the Canberra & Region Visitors Centre, Regatta Point, until 27 April.
Anzac eve peace vigil
A beautiful Canberra tradition. As the sun sets, be inspired by the twilight ceremony with community singing/humming. Then, as night falls, wind down towards the War Memorial in a contemplative lantern-lit procession, re-imagining the Anzac narrative away from its focus on war, towards a peaceful and inclusive future.
The vigil takes place atop Mount Ainslie, 24 April from 5.30-7.30pm.
Organised by A Chorus of Women, this event is free with no booking required, click here for more.
25 April
Dawn Service and National Ceremony
The Australian War Memorial’s Anzac Day 2021 Dawn Service on Sunday 25 April is a ticketed event, with COVID-safe measures in place.
Attendees have been capped at 4,200 for the Dawn Service from 5.30am and 3,000 for the National Ceremony from 10.30am, which traditionally includes the veterans’ march.
Tickets to attend the Dawn Service, National Ceremony and Last Post Ceremony are now exhausted, however the ceremonies will be broadcast live across Australia on ABC TV and iView.
Queanbeyan Service
Jointly run by QPRC, RSL and Legacy Queanbeyan. The march is from the RSL building on Crawford Street, along Monaro Street to the memorial at the corner of Lowe and Monaro Streets.
The dawn service begins at 5.30am and the main service begins at 10.30am.
Several other services will be run throughout the Queanbeyan-Palerang region including Araluen, Braidwood, Bungendore, Captains Flat, Jerrabomberra and Majors Creek; click here for more.
Light up the Dawn
For people who can’t make a local dawn service this year, Canberrans can mark Anzac Day with a moment of private reflection at 6am in remembrance of those who have served.
At 6am, take to your living room, driveway, balcony or street with a sprig of rosemary, homemade poppy or a candle.
More information is available on the RSL Light up the Dawn website.
Music for Mateship
People across Canberra will once again pick up their instruments to play the Last Post and Rouse in their local area this Anzac Day as part of Music for Mateship.
The purpose of the initiative is to encourage and facilitate musicians supporting the occasion by playing the Last Post in their street and for aged care residences.
Get involved by learning the Last Post with free musical arrangements via Music for Mateship, or for the less musically inclined, a free recording of James Morrison performing the Last Post is available for download.
Make sure to snap a picture and share to social media with the hashtag #MusicforMateship when rehearsing and performing on Anzac Day.
Virtual Poppy Wall
Leave a poppy and personalised Anzac Day message on the Virtual Poppy Wall at Lest We Forget alongside thousands of other Australians.
Places of Pride
Take a photo of your local war memorial or honour board and upload it to Places of Pride to help build the national register of Australian war memorials.
St Andrew’s Communion Service
The Church of St Andrew, Forrest, is hosting an Anzac Day 2021 Communion Service at 6.45-7.45am.
Taking place after the War Memorial’s Dawn service, patrons will have time to make their way to the church.
Royal Australian Artillery Association (RAAA) Service
The RAAA President invites Gunners, family and friends from the Canberra region to the Association’s Anzac Day commemorative service at the RAA National Memorial at Mt Pleasant, Russell, at 9-10am.
Due to limited parking at the Memorial, a shuttle service will be provided from 8.15am from the bottom access gate near the ADFA carpark (200 metres from General Bridges’ grave).
Some drinks and refreshments will be provided by the Sallyman, and limited seating will be available for older, immobile or pregnant attendees.
Dress: Coat and tie with medals. Regimental ties encouraged. Click here for more.
Commemorate with mates
A number of venues are hosting Anzac Day events on Sunday, including the Dickson Tradies, the Hellenic Club Woden, the Old Canberra Inn, Olims Bar and Bistro Braddon and more.
Department of Veterans’ Affairs ‘kitbag’
The Department of Veterans’ Affairs has released a digital ‘kitbag’, which has a range of practical resources to help people mark Anzac Day — from families, local community groups right through to someone wanting to hold their own private commemoration.
The kitbag is free and includes posters, sample speeches, orders of service, supporting music, crafts cards on how to make Anzac biscuits, poppies or a wreath and a range of supporting social media assets, including social media banner images.
View the Anzac Day kitbag here.
Canberra’s War Stories
Focus in on Canberra’s War Stories against the backdrop of the memorials on Anzac Parade in a tour with Rohan Goyne from 11am-12pm this Anzac Day. Meet at the Hellenic Memorial at the top of Anzac Parade; bookings are essential, click here for more.
What else is on this long weekend?
A host of non-Anzac related events are on across Canberra this weekend, too.
Award-winning singer-songwriter, Melinda Schneider, brings her A Farewell to Doris Day tour to Canberra Theatre Centre, Friday 23 April; canberratheatrecentre.com.au
Maverick song man and founding member of the Warumpi Band, Neil Murray, brings his Keep Rolling On tour to The Street, City West, Friday 23 April 8pm; thestreet.org.au
Twenty-four-piece symphony orchestra, Bowie Orchestrated, will perform the Best of Bowie, Saturday 24 April 7.30pm, Canberra Theatre; canberratheatrecentre.com.au
A dog’s day out filled with fundraising, feasting and fun, Barkfest 2.0 is back at the QT Canberra back carpark, Civic, Saturday 24 April 11.30am-3.30pm; book via Eventbrite.
Gundaroo vineyard and venue Tallagandra Hill hosts the Badloves, with King Canyon, Saturday 24 April 4pm; tickets via Eventbrite.
Print it! At Bungendore explores the lost art of ruthlessly editing your digital images followed by Treasures from the Tip. Be amazed by what gets jettisoned from our homes at the Bungendore Council Chambers, 24 April 10.30-11.30am; book via Eventbrite.
See watches, clocks and clockmaking tools at the Watch and Clock Display, hosted by Canberra Chapter of National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, 24 April 10am-4pm, Canberra Irish Club, Weston; gold coin entry.
Visit the Yass and District Museum 24-25 April to see an exhibition on the amazing, unassuming, self taught Renaissance man of Yass – Alfred Shearsby. Photographer, palaentologist, geologist and more, Shearsby’s photos and careful records capture significant and everyday events in Yass in the early 1900s. Click here for more.
Guitarist extraordinaire Jeff Lang bring his Some Memories Never Die tour to The Street Theatre, City West, 24 April 7.30pm; thestreet.org.au
SEE-Change Tuggeranong Repair Café gives the community a chance to bring in broken items and learn repair skills on the last Sunday of each month, 1-4pm at Tuggeranong Community Centre, Greenway.
Documentary film festival Stronger than Fiction’s 2021 iteration launches with a screening of The Mole Agent at Dendy Canberra, Sunday 25 April 2pm; strongerdocs.com
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