2015 Anzac Day media briefing pack

2015 Anzac Day Services at the Australian War Memorial

Today, Monday 20 April, 10.00 am – media site walkthrough

Media are invited to attend the Anzac Day site walkthrough with the Memorial’s media team.

Please meet at the stairs at the top of the Parade Ground to discuss the following:

• Order of Services – (Dawn, National and Last Post).
• Media positions, movements and pooling for the ceremonies (Dawn, National and Last Post).
• Live cross positions for media on the day – including program hosting positions.
• SNG car parks and technical support – power, audio splits and equipment/staging  requirements.
• “On the day” media registration, media access, points of contact.
• Car parking (very limited).

*Media will be able to reserve their live cross location at this walk through.

Friday 24 April - SNG and site bump-in from 1400hrs

Saturday 25 April – Anzac Day

Parking and road closures

Media attending are eligible for reserved parking. Parking permits will be strictly limited and will be issued on a first-come basis.

Road closures will be in effect from approximately 3.30 am until 1.00 pm at the following intersections:

• Limestone Avenue and Treloar Crescent
• Fairbairn Avenue and Treloar Crescent
• Anzac Parade will be closed between the Memorial and the Blamey Crescent and Currong Street intersections

Media positions, audio tent and split

The audio tent will be on the Eastern Lawn, previously located on the Western Lawn (refer to attachment 1).

For the National Ceremony, there will be two audio splits located at the audio tent and at the Media Pit (refer to attachment 1).

Cut-off for media registration and interview requests for Anzac Day is Monday 20 April. There will also be a site walk-through on this day – registered media are required to attend.

Saturday 25 April – Anzac Day

 Dawn Service:

• Media should arrive at the Live Cross area on the top of the Parade Ground no later than 4.30 am for site induction and distribution of media vests. Access to the Media Pit and alternative locations will not be permitted without a vest.
• Two fixed media positions; Media Pit and Live Cross area (MAP).
• Parking permits will be strictly limited and will be issued on a first-come basis.

Schedule:

4.30 am – Three 15 minute excerpts will be read from letters and diaries of Australians who experienced war first-hand, including Dan Kerighan VC.

5.15 am – All will be quiet before the Dawn Service commences in darkness.

5.25 am – All lights out onsite.

5.30 am – Dawn Service commences.

6.00 am – Dawn Service concludes.

6.15 am – Media Call, Live Cross area with Dr Brendan Nelson and Daniel Keighran VC

6.15 – 8.00 am Memorial’s Commemorative Area open to the Public.

National Ceremony and Anzac Day Parade

• Media should arrive at the Live Cross area on the top of the Parade Ground no later than 9.15 am for site induction and distribution of media vests. Access to the Media Pit and alternative locations will not be permitted without a vest.
• Three fixed media positions; Media Pit, Live Cross area and bottom of Parade Ground.
• Parking permits will be strictly limited and will be issued on a first-come basis.

Schedule:

09.15 am – Media arrive onsite.  

10.00 am – Media lockdown for ceremony to begin.

10.15 am – National Ceremony commences.

10.20 am – Official arrivals, Parade Ground.

10.45 am – Anzac Day Parade commences.

11.30 am – Parade Concludes – approx.

12 noon   – Official party moves into the Hall of Memory – pool positions only (to be arranged by media).

12.30 pm – Media Call, Western Courtyard Gallery - the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, His Excellency, General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd) and Dr Brendan Nelson

12.45 pm – Memorial opens to the public – approx.

Last Post Ceremony

• Media should arrive at the Live Cross area on the top of the Parade Ground no later than 4.00 pm for registration and distribution of media vests.
• Access to the Media Pit and alternative locations will not be permitted without a vest.
• Fixed media positions available; Western side of Pool of Reflection, top Parapet, Eastern Cloisters.

Schedule:

4.00 pm – Media arrive onsite. 

4.45 pm – VIP arrive and ceremony begins.

5.30 pm – Ceremony concludes.

At the end of each day, the Memorial farewells visitors with its moving Last Post Ceremony. The ceremony begins with the singing of the Australian National Anthem, followed by the poignant strains of a Lament, played by a piper. Visitors are invited to lay wreaths and floral tributes beside the Pool of Reflection. The Roll of Honour in the Cloisters lists the names of more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations over more than a century.

In commemoration of the centenary of the landings on Gallipoli, members of both the Australian Defence Force and the Turkish Armed Forces will participate in the ceremony. The Ode is then recited, and the ceremony ends with the sounding of the Last Post.

The Anzac Day Last Post Ceremony will be longer, and will commence slightly earlier, than usual at 4.45 pm. It also anticipated that there will be greater numbers attending this ceremony than normal.