On a misty Friday morning, 25 April 2025, the High Commission of Australia and the High Commission of New Zealand marked the 110th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings. The ceremony, held at Freedom Park in Pretoria, served as a solemn tribute to all those who have served in times of peace and war.
The 2025 Anzac Day commemorative programme included:
• Dawn service
• Welcome by a representative of Freedom Park
• Requiem by H.E. Ms Tegan Brink
• Hymn – Abide with Me
• Reading by Turkish Ambassador H.E. Mrs Nilvana Yıldırımgeç
• Poem by New Zealand High Commission whānau
• Address by H.E. Mr Philip Hewitt, High Commissioner of New Zealand
• Official wreath-laying ceremony
• Ode by Ms Emma Jane Ritchie
• Last Post
• One minute of silence
• Reveille – Lest we forget
• National anthems
• Closing remarks by Mr Nick Meehan
Anzac Day traces its origins to the morning of 25 April 1915, when Australian and New Zealand troops landed on the shores of Gallipoli. The mission was to capture the peninsula and open the Dardanelles for the Allied forces, with the ultimate objective of seizing Constantinople – now Istanbul.
Approximately 16,000 Australian and New Zealand troops landed at what would become known as Anzac Cove. They encountered fierce resistance from the Turkish defenders, and the campaign stretched on for eight months. By the end of 1915, the Allied forces were forced to evacuate.
Of the 60,000 Australians who fought at Gallipoli, 26,000 became casualties and over 8,000 lost their lives. Battles such as Lone Pine would later bring even greater losses. The Turkish people also suffered tremendously, with their death toll reaching over 85,000.
Anzac Day stands as a powerful symbol of courage, sacrifice, and shared history. The 2025 commemoration honoured that legacy, reminding all in attendance of the cost of war and the enduring importance of peace.
Lest we forget.
by Marion Kate
