Hosting An ANZAC Day SErvice
Timings
The accepted timings for the conduct of Anzac Day services are:
Dawn Service - The service commences in sufficient time to allow the one or two minutes of silence to commence at dawn.
Main Service - The service commences in sufficient time to allow the one or two minutes of silence to commence at 11 am.
Other Services - For Other Services e.g. those conducted by schools etc, not on Anzac Day, the timings should comply as closely as possible to those of the main service.
Local changes are permitted to these timings to allow for specific local circumstances, e.g. to allow a band who are performing elsewhere to be present but the timings should not be changed at the whim of member(s).
Period of silence
At Anzac Day Services conducted by RSL organisations, a period of silence of not more than two minutes is to be observed.
Acknowledgement of Country
Commemorative activities are carried out on lands across Australia that Traditional Owners and First Nation Peoples hold a deep connection with. The RSL recognises the invaluable contribution made by indigenous soldiers, sailors and airmen and women of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) who served, and still serve, alongside the many other cultures that together form our ADF.
In recognition of Indigenous Australians as the First Peoples of Australia, the RSL supports the acknowledgement of country before the commencement of official services on Anzac Day.
An Acknowledgement of Country may consist of the following:
“I would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the (insert) land on which we are meeting today and pay my respects to their Elders both past, present, and emerging. I would like to also pay respects to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women who have contributed to the defence in times of peace and war.”
Order of service
Here is a suggested Order of Service for the Dawn, Main and Other Anzac Day Services. An address, prayers, readings and hymns are normally included.
Veterans march to the venue or form up at the venue
Welcome including Acknowledgement of Country
Official guests are received in order of precedence. Attendees stand for the arrival of a Vice Regal Party and Vice Regal Salute. The military guard if present, pay the appropriate compliments.
Catafalque Party is mounted (all stand)
Hymn or other music, led by the clergyman
Prayer, poem or reading
Commemorative address by the senior official guest
Hymn or other music, led by the clergyman
Wreaths are laid, in order of precedence, commencing with the Senior Official guest.
The Ode is read by the designated person. All in attendance stand and repeat “We will remember them. Lest we forget”
The Last Post is sounded (All military members in uniform salute. Remain standing)
Period of silence (for the Dawn, Main and Other services, not more than two minutes, attendees standing)
Reveille (or Rouse) is sounded (remain standing). For the Dawn service ‘Reveille’ is played, for all other services ‘Rouse’ is played.
Benediction or final prayer, led by the clergyman
National Anthem/s. Military members in uniform salute and do not sing. It is appropriate to play the New Zealand National Anthem on Anzac Day. The New Zealand National Anthem should be played before the Australian National Anthem.
Catafalque Party dismount (remain standing)
Official Party depart
Requests for personnel (or material) assistance for Anzac Day ceremonies to the Australian Defence Force (Regular, Reserve or Cadets) are to be made directly to the unit or base concerned, in a timely fashion to ensure that sufficient time is allowed for administrative procedures to occur. It is customary to write to the contact person at the unit or base, by no later than the end of February each year, for the following Anzac Day.
Flags
The Australian National Flag is raised to the masthead.
At the completion of the Dawn Service the flag is to be lowered to half-mast where it remains until noon.
If the same flag and flagpole are to be used for the Main Service, then the flag remains at the half-mast position at the commencement of the Main Service and is raised to the masthead during ‘Rouse’.
At the completion of the service, it is then lowered to half-mast until noon.
At noon the flag is raised to the masthead where it remains for the remainder of the day.
Given the opportunity, it is appropriate to fly the New Zealand National Flag at services on Anzac Day however the Australian National Flag takes precedence.
