INFORMATION FOR MEDIA - 2020 Anzac Day Commemorative Service

The Australian War Memorial will hold a nationally televised Anzac Day Commemorative Service on 25 April 2020. The traditional Dawn Service, National Ceremony and veterans’ march will not take place.

This service will be held in the Commemorative Area and Hall of Memory of the Memorial on Anzac Day.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical that Anzac Day commemorations adhere to government advice on gatherings of large groups. Accordingly, the event will not be open to the public and will be broadcast live across Australia by the ABC and streamed online.

The ABC’s pre-service coverage will begin at 5 am, crossing to the commemorative service at 5.30 am.  

The Chief Medical Officer for the Australian Government, Professor Brendan Murphy, advised he was comfortable that the arrangements have substantially reduced the risk of the national Anzac Day Commemorative Service and that all persons there are essential to the event. 

Order of Service

Saturday 25 April 2020 marks the 105th anniversary of the landing of ANZAC troops at Gallipoli.

As occurs each Anzac Day, the ceremony will commence with the sounds of the didgeridoo from the Memorial’s parapet, played in the stillness of the morning by Seaman Lynton Robbins, a Kamilaroi man of the Royal Australian Navy.

Following this, the Anzac Day Commemorative Address will be given by the Honourable Scott Morrison MP, Prime Minister of Australia.

During the ceremony, Australia’s Federation Guard will mount a catafalque party at the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier in the Hall of Memory. The ceremony will be attended by dignitaries representing the Commonwealth of Australia, the people of New Zealand, Australian Defence Force, Returned and Services League of Australia, veterans and families.

Traditional elements will include a ceremonial piper, sounding of the Last Post, observance of one minute’s silence and the Reveille. The national anthems of Australia and New Zealand will be sung at the conclusion of the service, with music provided by the Band of the Royal Military College, Duntroon.

A special pre-recorded Last Post Ceremony will be posted to the Memorial’s digital platforms at 4.55 pm on Anzac Day. The ceremony will feature the story of Private Thomas Anderson Whyte of the 10th Battalion AIF — who was killed during the landing at Gallipoli in 1915 — read by Sergeant Shelby Powell of the Royal Australian Air Force.

Note – the Last Post Ceremony at 4.55pm will not be part of the ABC’s coverage and will be streamed by the Memorial.

Media access to Memorial grounds:

Please note, media will not have access to all areas at the Australian War Memorial on 25 April. Media will have access to a live feed of the service provided by the ABC and access to photographs taken during the service. Media are welcome to attend the Memorial site on Anzac Day to conduct interviews and capture images from the exterior grounds provided that no noise travels to the Memorial’s forecourt during the broadcast (Please see Attachment 1). We expect media crews to be essential staff only and to adhere to social distance practices.

EXCLUSION ZONE (red area): Media cannot go on the Forecourt, Parade Ground or paved stair area between 4.30 am and 9 am. There will be a live camera capturing the Memorial at dawn from the Parade Ground and there is to be no movement in view of this camera.

Media are able to operate from the grassed areas to the west of the Memorial prior to 9 am (Please see Attachment 1).

Parking: The closest parking is the outdoor public car park on the western side of the Memorial, opposite Campbell High School.

Registration: Media are requested to register their intention to attend Memorial grounds on Anzac Day via the contact details below. Upon arrival, please report to the Memorial’s Communication and Marketing staff who will be located near the Flanders Memorial Garden in the western grounds. There is no requirement for media to be vested.     

Access to broadcast: A live feed of the Anzac Day Commemorative Service broadcast will be made available by the ABC to broadcast television networks under a host broadcaster arrangement, at no cost and free of screen furniture and watermarks. Contact Jen Rochford, ABC National Operations Planning Coordinator (E: Rochford.Jennifer@abc.net.au or PH: 8333 2121) to arrange access.

Requests for radio links should be addressed to Bronwyn Purvis ABC Content Partnerships Lead Regional & Local (E: purvis.bronwyn@abc.net.au or PH: 02 8333 2682).   

ABC broadcast coverage: For comprehensive guide to the ABC’s coverage of Anzac Day activities please visit its website.

Access to photos: Two Memorial photographers and a pooled Australian Parliamentary Press Gallery photographer will take photographs of the service. Photos will be made available to media via the AAP pictures desk, as soon as possible after the service concludes. Photos from the official photographers can also be sourced through the Memorial’s media team.

A broader range of photos will be uploaded to the Memorial’s Flickr page later in the day. These photos are free to be downloaded with attribution to the Australian War Memorial as the source.

Access to Commemorative Area (after 9 am): Media can access the Commemorative Courtyard to capture images and overlay after 9 am, after the ABC has concluded its bump out of the broadcast.  

Interview and photo requests: Memorial Director Matt Anderson PSM is available for interview on Anzac Day after 8 am. Access to Memorial historians can be arranged with prior notice. Requests should be directed to Greg Kimball, Memorial Media Relations Manager (details below).

Additional content:

Anzac Day 2020: 11.30am, Pause and Reflect (Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA))

On Anzac Day this year all Australians are encouraged to tune in to the ABC, Channel 9, Channel 7, other networks or many national and local television and radio stations, at 11:30am (AEDT), or the equivalent time in your state or territory, for an opportunity to pause and reflect. This time, 11.30am, is significant because it was at that time the ANZACs landed at Gallipoli in 1915.                               

This special four-minute commemoration includes several moving traditional Anzac Day elements – the Ode, the Last Post, one minute’s silence, and Rouse.

The whole nation is encouraged to take part in this moving tribute to acknowledge the more than 102,000 Australians who lost their lives in war, conflict and peacekeeping operations, and the service and sacrifice of those who have worn our military uniform.

For information, contact Dale Starr, Director of Strategic Communication, DVA on 0428 805 578.

Anzac at Home:

Anzac Day is the day Australians come together in remembrance. This year, however, we will come together in spirit, instead of in person.

We can all still keep the Anzac spirit alive and honour our veterans and service members from the safety of our own homes.

The Memorial has a range of digital resources and initiatives to help Australians commemorate at home, please visit: www.awm.gov.au/anzacathome. New content will be added up to Anzac Day.

There will be cameras capturing the breaking of dawn over the respective commemorative monument in each state and territory capital city. These pictures will be fed through a studio and live streamed online. Access to the feed can be arranged upon request.

The Museum at Home initiative directs people to a range of Memorial content which they can engage with from the safety of their homes. Please visit the Memorial’s website here for more information.

Media team                 (02) 6243 4575            0409 600 038              media@awm.gov.au

Greg Kimball               (02) 6263 6628            0402 800 649              greg.kimball@awm.gov.au