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April 25, 2026 \u2014 7:55am<\/p>\n
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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n Save this article for later<\/p>\n Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime.<\/p>\n Got it<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n Before the going up of the sun, as with every Anzac Day, thousands gathered in the heart of Brisbane to remember those who have fallen.<\/p>\n The 2026 Anzac Day dawn service at Queensland\u2019s Shrine of Remembrance was, as always, a sacred and sombre affair, with the crowd spilling over both Ann and Adelaide streets to Post Office Square.<\/p>\n There was a smattering of rain \u2013 a good reminder of the discomforts our Diggers endured, RSL Queensland chief executive Rob Skoda would later reflect \u2013 but Army chaplain James Hall\u2019s prayers were answered as the ceremony commenced at 4.30am with stars poking through the parting clouds.<\/p>\n Marking 111 years since Australian and New Zealand troops landed on the shores of Gallipoli under Turkish fire, Queensland Governor Jeannette Young said the quiet moments before dawn allowed a grateful nation to honour and remember those who answered the call.<\/p>\n \u201cToday, Australia faces a strategic environment of growing complexity and uncertainty as tensions persist around the world, reminding us that peace is never guaranteed \u2013 it must be protected, sometimes at great cost,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cToday, the role of the Australian Defence Force is more important than ever.\u201d<\/p>\n Dignitaries, including Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, plus Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg and Senator Anthony Chisholm \u2013 representing Premier David Crisafulli and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese respectively \u2013 laid wreaths to the sound of a lone piper\u2019s lament.<\/p>\n Then, the Last Post \u2013 that melody so ingrained in the nation\u2019s psyche \u2013 followed by two minutes of impeccably observed silence.<\/p>\n The national anthems of New Zealand and Australia rounded off the official ceremony, leaving those gathered to reflect and leave their own wreaths before the eternal flame.<\/p>\n A tradition that has lasted 110 years since the first-ever Anzac Day service, also held in Brisbane, a year after the landing at Gallipoli.<\/p>\n With escalating global conflict, and events closer to home, this Anzac Day threatened to be overshadowed by outside events.<\/p>\n Victoria Cross recipient and accused war criminal<\/a> Ben Roberts-Smith was at the Currumbin service on the Gold Coast<\/a>, 85 kilometres south of Anzac Square, but his presence still loomed large.<\/p>\n Spotted among the crowd was at least one \u201cI stand with BRS\u201d shirt.<\/p>\n After the ceremony, Skoda said it was heartening to see so many people come out, pre-dawn, to pay their respects.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re seeing more and more crowds come out, and I suspect that people want to have that spirit, have that connection, have that respect and solidarity about the country that we are,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cAnzac Day is a great way to commemorate that.\u201d<\/p>\n Related Article Former mainstays of Anzac marches are long gone now. There are no surviving World War I veterans, and Skoda estimated only about 200 survivors of the Second World War remained in Queensland.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s our responsibility to carry on their service and their memory,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Sadly, though, there were always new conflicts to maintain Anzac Day\u2019s contemporary resonance.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you look back, veterans of the Vietnam era weren\u2019t treated appropriately when they came home, and hopefully, the country\u2019s changed its tune on that over time,\u201d Skoda said.<\/p>\n \u201cI think people realise now, through those mistakes, how important it is to commemorate and respect those who have sacrificed for the freedoms that we have. It\u2019s really a big movement now.\u201d<\/p>\n Start the day with a summary of the day\u2019s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/23af5a53c7f222dc2667febab6c3360c896c5cf2.jpeg\")
The catafalque party stands guard at the cenotaph during Saturday\u2019s dawn service at Anzac Square in Brisbane.Dan Peled<\/p>\n![\"Thousands](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0fb0db6704bb274f6f540682ae4277dd722e4ea4.jpeg\")
Thousands braved the threatening weather to attend the Anzac Day dawn service in the heart of Brisbane\u2019s CBD.Dan Peled<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/52a025000bb360ee1cc66c33af822ab143e4c057.jpeg\")
The Last Post is played at the 2026 Anzac Day dawn service in Brisbane.Dan Peled<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1c8e86c74c2ad96e3256235fc4a4c1ec9c9d45b7.jpeg\")
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