Further information and useful links
Historical background
ANZAC Day pays tribute to the courage of the soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who first distinguished themselves in 1915 at Gallipoli, Turkey, during the Great War. On 25 April 1915, the ANZAC men landed on the coast of the Dardanelles to attack a Turkish position. But while they thought they were landing on a sandy beach, the ANZACs found themselves at the foot of a gigantic cliff and fought for eight months under a deluge of artillery before being forced to withdraw without having achieved their objective.
More than 8,700 of them lost their lives, with more than 2,000 casualties on the first day. Their courage and tenacity were praised by all, including their opponents. This tragic experience is engraved forever in the collective memory of Australians and New Zealanders, who perpetuate the memory of their soldiers' sacrifice every year.
ANZAC Day today represents much more than the commemoration of the landing at Gallipoli.
It is a day of remembrance and great pride, during which we pay tribute to all Australians and New Zealanders who have lost their lives in conflict and honour the men and women who have served in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations since 1915. We also pay tribute to the soldiers who served in the Australian and New Zealand armed forces and who were wounded or fell during the global conflicts that followed. It is also a day to reflect on the qualities demonstrated by soldiers during deadly conflicts, and which continue to this day: courage, endurance, compassion and mateship.
In Australia and New Zealand, ANZAC Day is commemorated every year on 25 April through a Dawn Service. The first ANZAC Day took place more than 100 years ago in 1916.
ANZAC Day is thus an integral part of the national identity and history of Australia and New Zealand, and the population is invited to attend commemorative ceremonies.
It is a tradition that we continue to perpetuate today. Australians and New Zealanders come together to pay tribute to the men and women who have served our nations in times of war or conflict, or as part of peacekeeping operations.
In New Caledonia, we remember the joint efforts of Australian, New Zealand and French troops to protect freedom in the Pacific and elsewhere. In 2014, we also commemorated the Centenary of the Great War and in 2016, that of the Battle of the Somme and the decisive fighting on the Western Front. Our countries have been forever linked by these fierce battles and by the courage and sense of sacrifice shown on French soil more than a hundred years ago.
The heavy toll paid by Australia on French soil during the Great War, the role played by Australia in the rallying of New Caledonia to Free France in 1940 and the strong presence of New Zealand troops in the Bourail region during the Second World War also explain the attachment of New Caledonians to ANZAC Day commemorations, which has found its place, over the years, in the general context of the duty of remembrance, aimed at the younger generations who actively participate in these ceremonies.
In New Caledonia, the Consulates-General of Australia and New Zealand traditionally commemorate ANZAC Day with two ceremonies, with the support of authorities and the French Armed Forces in New Caledonia: a Dawn Service at the War Memorial in Place Bir Hakeim in Noumea, and a memorial service at the New Zealand War Cemetery in Nessadiou, Bourail.
ANZAC Day 2025 - Ceremonies
We welcome Australians, New Zealanders and members of the New Caledonian community to attend ANZAC Day ceremonies:
- Friday 25 April 2025 at 6am - Monument to the Fallen (Place Bir Hakeim, Noumea)
Lest we forget
Further information and useful links
Australian Consulate-General Noumea
- 2013 ANZAC Day commemorative booklet (in French)
- 2005 ANZAC Day commemorative booklet (in French)
Australian Department of Veterans’ Affairs
- Anzac Day 25 April - Anzac Portal including A Brief history of Anzac Day
- Order of service and flag protocols for a commemorative event - Anzac Portal
- Music for Remembrance Day or a commemorative event - Anzac Portal including the national anthems of Australia (Advance Australia Fair) and New Zealand (God Defend New Zealand) as well as Bugle calls (the Last Post, the Reveille et The Rouse)
- Ode of Remembrance
- In Flander’s Fields (John McCrae, 1915) – Ode of Remembrance and other poems - Anzac Portal
- Anzac biscuits to make for Anzac Day or a commemorative event - Anzac Portal
- Poppies to make for Anzac Day or Remembrance Day - Anzac Portal
Australian War Memorial – https://www.awm.gov.au/commemoration/ANZAC-day/traditions
Australian Embassy in Paris and Australian Department of Veterans’ Affairs – Villers-Bretonneux commemoration
- Australian Embassy in Paris – Villers-Bretonneux commemoration
- Anzac Day – Villers-Bretonneux, France | Department of Veterans' Affairs
New Zealand Government’s historical site – https://www.nzhistory.govt.nz/war/ANZAC-day/introduction