Gisborne’s Anzac Day commemoration in pictures

An estimated 800 people were involved – veterans, military personnel, cadets and a host of students from the three city high schools and Gisborne Intermediate.

Wreaths laid at the foot of the Gisborne Cenotaph for Saturday’s dawn service. Photo / James Pocock

The sound of the Eastland Rescue Helicopter got things started as it soared overhead, followed by a waiata from the RSA kapa haka roopu (choir), the New Zealand and Australia national anthems, hymns, a reading of the poem In Flanders Field, the laying of wreaths and the sounding of a World War I trench whistle and the story behind it.

The service was led by RSA Padre Grant Harris, who also sounded The Last Post and Reveille.

RSA padre Grant Harris led the service and performed the Last Post and Reveille. Photo / Murray Robertson

“There are those who say we die two deaths – once when we die physically and then again when we are not remembered. Lest we forget,” Harris told the crowd.

Mayor Rehette Stoltz welcomed everyone to the service.

“As we gather here in 2026, the world once again continues to face conflict, instability and uncertainty,” she said. “We are reminded daily that peace can never be taken for granted.

“That is why Anzac Day remains so important. It reminds us not only of the cost of war, but also the responsibility we all share to stand for peace, democracy, understanding and unity.”

Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz in the parade at the close of the dawn service. Photo / Murray Robertson

Guest speaker Royal New Zealand Navy Warrant Officer Darren Crosby said this Anzac Day marked 110 years since the New Zealand Division arrived on the Western Front during World War I.

“Today’s veterans face a different kind of battlefield. The threats are more complex, the lines are less defined and the pressures, both physical and mental, are enduring,” he said.

The front rank of veterans, current services personnel and others at Saturday’s packed combined service at the Gisborne Cenotaph. Photo / Murray Robertson

“They all return home carrying experiences that are not always visible but are no less significant. We remember and acknowledge them, not only with words but with understanding.

“We remember them not only for what they have done, but for what they carry forward.

“Today’s veterans are the living link between our past and our future. They are also the embodiment of our Anzac values of courage, comradeship, commitment and sacrifice.”

A sea of faces at Gisborne’s combined service at the Cenotaph, estimated to be attended by close to 3000. Photo / Murray Robertson

Crosby said, “Peace cannot be taken for granted.”

“As the sun continues to rise, we are reminded that remembrance is not [just] about reflection, it’s about responsibility, to live in a way that honours their sacrifice, to care for one another and to choose peace whenever possible.”

Gisborne RSA president Trevor Jukes thanked everyone involved in the commemoration and the crowd for their support in a “memorable” service.

Other Anzac Day services across Tairāwhiti were well supported again this year.