Revellers have partied long into the night as those making the most of Sunday’s Anzac Day celebrations spilled out of packed pubs and onto the street – despite millions of Australians being back at work the next day.
Thousands of partygoers sank beers and played the traditional game of two-up well into Sunday evening after Aussies earlier gathered at chilly dawn ceremonies for the first time since 2019 to honour the nation’s military servicemen and women.
In The Rocks in Sydney, revellers danced the night away as they filled the area’s bars and restaurants – with many dressing in military uniform to mark the occasion.
While residents in all other states and territories will benefit from a public holiday on Monday, workers in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania are not so lucky.
Revellers in the Rocks danced the night away as they filled the area’s bars and restaurants to mark Anzac Day on Monday
A man dressed in military uniform embraces a woman on the pavement in The Rocks on Sunday. Workers in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania do not benefit from a public holiday on Monday
A group of smartly dressed young men perch on the edge of the pavement in The Rocks on Sunday night
Victoria and New South Wales – Australia’s two most populated states with a combined population of almost 15million – only offer supplementary public holidays when Anzac Day falls on a weekday.
Tasmania meanwhile only offers additional public holidays for Christmas, New Year’s Day, Boxing Day and Australia Day.
Hundreds were on Sunday afternoon packed tightly into the Royal Hotel in Paddington, Sydney on Sunday afternoon.
A large crowd spilled out into the laneway of the pub, where more games continued in front of raucous onlookers.
The Australian Heritage Hotel in The Rocks was also a hotspot, where revellers filled the bar and outside area to soak up the sun on the 22C day.
Thousands of footy fans flocked to the Sydney Cricket Ground for the traditional Anzac Day NRL clash between the Sydney Roosters and St George Illawarra Dragons.
Thousands of rowdy Aussies have taken to pubs across the country to sink beers and play two-up as Anzac Day commemorations continue. Pictured: The Australian Heritage Hotel in The Rocks
A crowd of rowdy patrons celebrate their winnings during a game of two-up at the Royal Hotel in Paddington, Sydney
A large crowd participates in games of two-up in a laneway next to the Royal Hotel in Paddington
An enthusiastic reveller started doing push-ups during a game of two-up in the beer garden of the Australian Heritage Hotel in The Rocks
Three friends enjoy beers while watching a game at the Australian Heritage Hotel in The Rocks, Sydney on Sunday afternoon
Patrons and servicemen and women in their military uniforms enjoyed two-up in the beer garden, while others who managed to find a spare table drank the afternoon away
The Australian Heritage Hotel in The Rocks was also a hotspot, where hordes of revellers filled the bar and outside area to soak up the sun
A serviceman holds two $50 notes while competing in a rowdy game of two-up at the Australian Heritage Hotel in The Rocks, Sydney
A large crowd participates in games of two-up in a laneway next to the Royal Hotel in Paddington in Sydney’s eastern suburbs
Two sailors led a game of two-up at The Australian Heritage Hotel in The Rocks on Sunday afternoon
An Anzac Day commemoration is a pre-match tradition to the Anzac Day clash between the St George Illawarra Dragons and Sydney Roosters
Elated patrons were seen cheering as they celebrated their two-up wins, while two sailors ran the game which has become synonymous with Anzac Day.
Australian soldiers played the coin toss betting game in trenches and on troopships during World War I. Two-up is illegal to play in NSW on any day other than April 25 due to it being an unregulated form of gambling.
Last year Anzac Day was marked by televised services only and no marches for the first time in more than a century as the pandemic kept people indoors.
Services and marches were back with limited crowds in most parts of the country.
Only services in Western Australia’s Perth and Peel regions were cancelled after a hotel quarantine outbreak led to community virus transmission and the imposition of a three-day lockdown.
Sunday marks the 106th anniversary of the landings at Gallipoli, a campaign which ultimately cost more than 8,700 Australian lives.
Like last year, many Australians paid tribute at home by standing at the end of their driveways at dawn.
Outside of the Sydney CBD, a maximum of 5,000 people – excluding spectators – can participate in an outdoor Anzac Day march or dawn service.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison told the dawn service at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra that the nation faced a defining moment 12 months ago when the pandemic first reached Australian shores.
‘A moment of uncertainty and danger, when the future seems so uncertain, masked by fog,’ he said in front of about 3,000 people.
‘We could not gather, but we held candles in driveways and on balconies and we played the Last Post on radios and iPhones as some, especially in our west, will do again today.
St George Illawarra players stood shoulder to shoulder during the Anzac commemorations prior to kick-off
Members of the Australian Army led the Anzac Day service ahead of the NRL clash between the Roosters and Dragons
More than 40,000 NRL fans stood and sang as one during the national anthem at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday
A war veteran (left) and the loved one of a past veteran (right) devoured a footy favourite at the Sydney Cricket Ground
Currently-serving servicemen and women were among the crowd at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday
A veteran enjoys a well earned beer in The Rocks after taking part in Sydney’s Anzac Day commemorations
A currently-serving serviceman waits for the game between the Sydney Roosters and St George Illawarra to kick off
Players run through the banner during the AFL match between the Collingwood Magpies and the Essendon Bombers at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Anzac Day
The banner players ran through included the names of Essendon and Collingwood players who gave their lives in war
The other side of the banner players ran through said ‘Lest we forget’ and included two red poppies
The Last Post is played before the AFL match between the Collingwood Magpies and the Essendon Bombers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Anzac Day
The Motorcade of Veterans ahead of the Anzac Day clash between AFL sides Collingwood Magpies and Essendon Bombers
The Army Band performs during the AFL match between the Collingwood Magpies and the Essendon Bombers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Anzac Day
Anzac Day is the only day of the year where playing the traditional game of two-up (pictured) is legal
Many thirsty revellers packed Sydney’s pubs on Sunday following the official Anzac Day commemorations
Australians have gathered across the country in the chilly dawn to mark Anzac Day at public ceremonies for the first time since 2019. Pictured: People attend the consular corps wreath-laying ceremony commemorating in Sydney
NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian poses with members of the Sydney Maori Choir during the Sydney Dawn Service on Sunday morning
Montana Seaman with her partner and serviceman Luke Williams share a moment after the dawn service at Coogee Beach
A young on-looker stands for the Australian national anthem during the Sydney Dawn Service on Sunday morning
A veteran walks next to police officers as they attend the consular corps wreath-laying ceremony commemorating Anzac Day in Sydney
‘And together we called on our past to light up the dawn, and in doing so, we rediscovered a deep truth about who we are – our strength is found in each other.
‘When we are threatened, when our peace and our safety and our security are imperilled, in these moments our differences fade away.’
Mr Morrison acknowledged the service came as Australia prepared to withdraw its last troops from Afghanistan.
‘It has been our longest war. The world is safer from the threat of terrorism than when the Twin Towers were felled almost 20 years ago, but we remain vigilant. However, this has come at a great cost.’
Australia lost 41 Australian Defence Force members in Afghanistan out of the more than 39,000 who served.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese, who attended a dawn service in Balmain, said it was a difficult time for current and former service personnel with the release of the Brereton report into alleged Afghan war crimes, the announcement of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, and pending royal commission into veterans’ suicide.
‘This is why it is important this Anzac Day to show our respect for all those who serve, but particularly the current generation of men and women who keep us safe in an increasingly challenging world,’ he said in a statement.
Mr Albanese said for many war does not end when they leave the battlefield.
An Australian Army soldier stands as people attend the consular corps wreath-laying ceremony commemorating Anzac Day in Sydney
New South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian attends the consular corps wreath-laying ceremony commemorating Anzac Day in Sydney
Australians are seen paying their respects at the eternal flame at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne
Crowds gather during the Sydney Dawn Service
The Victorian government placed restrictions on attendance numbers at Anzac Day services in Melbourne. Pictured are two sldiers chatting through a fence
Melburnians paid their respects on Sunday by standing behind a fence after the city’s dawn service at the Shrine of Remembrance of restricted to 1400
Attendees waited outside Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance before 1400 were allowed through the gates
‘It comes as some relief that, after a long campaign by relatives who’ve lost love ones, there will finally be a royal commission into veteran suicide,’ he said.
‘This year alone, we have already lost 18 to suicide – and it is only April.
‘To them, and all those who have gone before, and those who are at any risk now, we owe them this much at the very least.’
He said many veterans had been fortunate to ‘turn the weight of war into something else’, noting the life and work of his mentor and friend WWII veteran Tom Uren.
Anzac Day services overseas were cancelled, including Australian and New Zealand-led services in Turkey and Australian services in France.
Defence Minister Peter Dutton said the manner of commemoration was less important than the act of doing so.
‘In remembering the original Anzacs – and those that followed them – we not only recall their deeds, but also recognise the best qualities that defined them.’
A strong presence of police enforced the 1400-crowd limit at a dawn service in Melbourne while many others paid their respects behind fences
Wreaths are laid to commemorate Anzac Day at the Auckland War Memorial Museum
Sunday marks the 106th anniversary of the landings at Gallipoli, a campaign which ultimately cost more than 8700 Australian lives
Australia lost 41 Australian Defence Force members in Afghanistan out of the more than 39,000 who served. Pictured: Sydey dawn service
Mr Dutton also paid tribute to all past and current Australians who have served in the military, saying they had ‘fought to end evil and topple tyranny’, with many returning home physically or mentally scarred.
Chief of Defence Angus Campbell said current members of the ADF have a lot to be proud of.
‘Every day I see our people humbly carry out their duty with excellence and initiative, and display great mateship. This is the essence of the Anzac Spirit,’ he said.
‘We remember and honour those who went before us from the Gallipoli landing in 1915 through to the campaigns and operations of today.’
Governor-General David Hurley and Mrs Hurley spent Anzac Day in the NT, attending the Darwin dawn service, before travelling to Katherine.
Mr Hurley said Anzac Day was ‘not just about history, it is very much about the here and now’.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian recited a poem before the Anzac Day address by Air Vice-Marshal Joe Iervasi, Air Commander Australia.
People gather on Currumbin beach to watch surf boats perform a burial at sea
Crowds gathered on Currumbin beach on the Gold Coast to pay their respects to the fallen Diggers
Anzac day is traditionally marked by a dawn service held during the time of the original Gallipoli landing and commemorated with ceremonies and parades throughout the day. Pictured: crowds on Currumbin beach
People gather on Currumbin beach to watch surf boats perform a burial at sea on April 25 in Currumbin on the Gold Coast
Like last year, many Australians paid tribute at home by standing at the end of their driveways at dawn
The Last Post was then played in the Sydney dark.
Air Vice-Marshal Iervasi told the story of Lieutenant George Merz, an Australian aviator supporting the British World War I effort in Mesopotamia in 1915 when his plane was forced down along the Tigris-Euphrates river.
Lt Merz and Kiwi co-pilot Lieutenant William Burn were then attacked by Arab Bedouin, becoming their nations’ first air crew killed in combat.
‘The stories of these Australians are the stories of service,’ he said.
‘They exemplified our values of courage, respect, integrity and excellence … none sought glory, but all sacrificed their lives in the service of our nation.’
Today Extra host Sylvia Jeffreys was spotted at a service in Double Bay in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, alongside her husband Peter Stefanovic and their two sons.
The journalist wiped away tears as she became emotional during the service, while clutching her newborn son Henry.
At Currumbin beach on the Gold Coast, hordes of Queenslanders gathered at dawn to pay their respects to the fallen Diggers.
Sylvia Jeffrey gets emotional as she attends ANZAC day ceremony with Peter Stefanovic and their two sons in Double Bay, Sydney
Chief of Defence Angus Campbell said current members of the ADF have a lot to be proud of. Pictured: A soldier gathers at Currumbin beach
People gather on Currumbin beach to watch surf boats perform a burial at sea early on Sunday morning
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian recited a poem before the Anzac Day address by Air Vice-Marshal Joe Iervasi, Air Commander Australia
Australian soldiers take their positions next to the Cenotaph national war memorial during the Anzac Day dawn service in Sydney
People braved the frigid temperatures to watch on as surf boats performed a burial at sea as the sun rose.
As one of the few surviving 9th Division ex-servicemen of World War II, Dennis Davis – who at Tobruk in 1941 helped defend the Libyan city’s port from Nazi control – on Sunday marched alongside RSL NSW president Ray James.
‘It’s first of all a remembrance of what we went through,’ Mr Davis said.
‘We didn’t know we were making history … I was a Rat of Tobruk, the siege of Tobruk, one of the longest sieges in the British Empire.’
And for Ms Brown, April 25 is about family as much as service.
‘I absolutely love travelling into town with Pop and being with Pop and just the way people respond to him, the thanks people give,’ she said.
Indigenous Elder RAAF, Harry Allie speaks during the Sydney Dawn Service
At Currumbin beach on the Gold Coast, hordes of Queenslanders gathered at dawn to pay their respects to the fallen Diggers
People braved the frigid temperatures to watch on as surf boats performed a burial at sea as the sun rose
Joined by a handful of other residents, Mr Davis stood outside with candle in hand and Australian flag nearby, listening to The Last Post via radio.
He was glad normal service has resumed in 2021, with the coronavirus largely contained in NSW and life returning to something resembling normal.
‘We tried to get the whole village out but it wasn’t possible,’ he said.
‘Three or four of us went out, we kept distance at the time.’
Meanwhile, Richard Wilkins broke down in tears as he reflected upon his father’s military service and grandfather’s roles in World War One during Weekend Today’s special Anzac Day broadcast.
The 66-year-old entertainment presenter became overwhelmed as photos of his beloved family members flashed on-screen.
Richard Wilkins, 66, (left) broke down in tears on Weekend Today as he paid tribute to his father and grandfather who both served on Anzac Day. Pictured with Jayne Azzopardi (centre) and Sophie Walsh (right)
‘This is my dad’: ‘Richard burst into tears as a black-and-white photo of his father Anthony (pictured) flashed on-screen, followed by a time-worn image of his grandfather George William Thomson
‘It’s always a bitter sweet day in our family because it is my son Christian’s birthday today but my grandfather and dad both served,’ he told his co-hosts Jayne Azzopardi and Sophie Walsh.
‘This is my dad Anthony Richard Wilkins who was in pilot training in Vancouver. He was 21 years of age there,’ he said, clearly becoming emotional.
Richard burst into tears as a black-and-white photo of Anthony flashed on-screen, followed by a time-worn image of his grandfather George William Thomson.
‘That’s my granddad on his way to Gallipoli with his mum saying goodbye to him. We had a look at that photo yesterday,’ he sobbed.
‘Sorry…,’ Richard said, as he tried to calm himself down.
‘It’s OK. Don’t apologise,’ Jayne replied, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.
‘It’s an emotional day for everyone, all families across Australia. It’s beautiful that you shared those photos with us. Thank you,’ she added.
