Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has joined the Remembrance Day ceremony in Canberra to honour those Australians who died in war.
November 11, 2023 marks 105 years since the end of World War 1 when more than 100,000 Australians died in conflict and peacekeeping operations during a four-year battle.
Albanese joined veterans and members of the Australian Defence Force to pay their respects as the service began.
A minute of silence followed at 11am.
Following the minute of silence, representatives began the laying of wreaths as a symbol of recognition.
Governor-General David Hurley and his wife Linda Hurley led the wreath laying, followed by the Prime Minister.
Australian Defence Force’s Chief of Personnel, Lieutenant General Natasha Fox, delivered the commemorative address and thanked those who have served for Australia.
“The act of commemoration is a poignant reminder that despite its ever-changing character, war ultimately remains a human endeavour and its people who suffer from war and we have borne witness to this across the globe over the many years since 1918,” she said.
“This year marks a number of significant anniversaries and periods of service… while these are contemporary anniversaries, they link back to the First World War and that link is service.
“More than 2 million Australians have made the conscious decision to undertake service for their country. This has enabled our nation, our character, the beliefs and ideals, our ability to choose how we want to live, our ability to have choice.”
“On Remembrance Day, our nation marks the moment when the guns of the Western Front fell silent, with a silence of our own,” Albanese said.
“We think of everyone in that extraordinary moment 105 years ago, emerging from a war that had gone on for year after year on an unprecedented scale – and into the peace in all its relief and uncertainty.
“At 11am, all of us pause to honour the Australians who fought and fell in the First World War and the generations who have followed them in the service of our country and the cause of peace.
“Above all we give thanks for those who have given this to us, who have defended it for us, who even today are working to keep it safe.”
Several Remembrance Day ceremonies have been held across the country as Australia commemorates members of its armed forces nationwide.
The Sydney Opera House was projected with red poppies onto its sails at sunrise on Saturday to mark the commencement of Remembrance Day.