More than a century after the end of World War I, the thousands of Australians killed in the Great War and later conflicts will be remembered across the country.

People will on Friday pause to mark Remembrance Day and commemorate the 103,000 Australians who lost their lives in wars and peacekeeping operations.

Veterans’ Affairs Minister Matt Keogh said it was up to everyone to ensure those who had made the ultimate sacrifice for their country would never be forgotten.

He said this year marked several significant milestones, including the 50th anniversary of the end of national service and 75 years of Australia’s involvement in peacekeeping operations.

“We must honour the service of the hundreds of thousands of Australians who have answered our nation’s call,” he said.

Previously known as Armistice Day to commemorate the signing of the peace agreement that ended World War I, Remembrance Day honours all Australians who lost their lives in conflicts.

A minute’s silence will be observed at 11am, while the national event at the Australian War Memorial will be the first held without COVID-19 social restrictions since 2019.

Opposition veterans’ affairs spokesman Barnaby Joyce said people should take a minute to read the diaries of soldiers from World War I’s Western Front for an insight into the “morass and evil which is war”.

In return for the sacrifice of the more than 200,000 Australians killed or wounded in the war, all that was asked was for people to pause for a minute and “remember this human calamity”, he said.

“We should all ask ourselves the question: is having a cup of coffee and trying to rush through the check-out at that all-important one minute at 11am more important than their lives?”

The national commemoration in Canberra, featuring a keynote address by businessman Kerry Stokes, will start at 10.45am AEDT and be broadcast live on the ABC.

It will feature traditional elements including the laying of wreaths by dignitaries and a commemorative address.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will attend a service at the Martin Place cenotaph in Sydney.

Red poppies, traditionally worn on Remembrance Day, will light up the sails of the Sydney Opera House at dawn ahead of the service and in the evening.

In Melbourne, bugle players will be stationed at 16 CBD intersections to play the Last Post at 11am, while landmarks like Federation Square, the MCG and Melbourne Town Hall will be lit up in red.

Official Remembrance Day ceremonies will also take place at shrines of remembrance and war memorials across the country.

By Peter Bodkin and Paul Osborne in Canberra

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