Each year on April 25, Australians gather in their communities to remember and honour those who have served in the Australian forces. Anzac Day has been a special event in Australia since 1916 when the first Anzac Day commemorations were held in 1916.
Dawn services are one of the most meaningful ways to honour those who have sacrificed so much, as the early hour doesn’t just signify the time of the original landing at Gallipoli. History also shows that Australian soldiers returning after the First World War held dawn vigils to remember their fallen comrades, perhaps seeking out the unity they had felt in those silent pre-dawn moments. Tuross Head is home to a very special Anzac Day Dawn Service. While there is a late morning service, the dawn service brings with it a palpable reverence, as the sun rises spectacularly over the ocean. This is one of the most attended Anzac Day dawn services along the far South Coast. The Dawn Service takes place at the Tuross Head Memorial Gardens, a lovely space which holds a memorial cairn and commemorative walls. Behind the memorial is a breathtaking expanse of sea, contributing to truly powerful Anzac Day services in Tuross Head.
The Memorial Gardens themselves have historic significance.
The Memorial Gardens were established as a community project, and were dedicated on 25th April 1990 to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli. In 1995, the anniversary of World War Two was acknowledged and an inscription was added in honour of all those who made the ultimate sacrifice in that conflict. Both the gardens and commemorative walls are dedicated to the community as a whole. Those who wish to can have a plaque placed on the wall in the memory of a family member.
This Anzac Day, remember those who have fought---and continue to fight---for the Australian way of life.
You’ll find an emotional, stirring service in Tuross Head where the community contributes to a special Anzac Day service.