As ANZAC Day approaches, Australians and New Zealanders prepare once again to pause, reflect, and honour the sacrifices made by those who served. For many, it's a sacred tradition—quiet mornings, solemn dawn services, and stories passed down through generations. But in 2025, more than a century after the Gallipoli landings, what does ANZAC mean to young Australians today? And how can we ensure our commemorations speak truthfully to both the past and the present?
For Avondale University students Jack and Mattia, ANZAC Day is more than a ritual. It's a reminder of the human cost of war, a personal connection to history, and the importance of empathy. Their reflections point to a new generation engaging with ANZAC not just through national pride, but with a thoughtful desire to understand and acknowledge the full weight of our shared past.
ANZAC isn’t just about medals or marching bands, but a deeper reckoning with what it means to remember well. Commemorating ANZAC Day is about honouring the individuals who lived, fought, suffered, and often died in its shadow—and doing so with honesty.
Telling the Whole Story
One of the messages to emerge from this conversation with ANZAC historian and Emeritus Professor Daniel Reynaud is the call to truthfulness. Reynaud emphasises the danger of sanitising the past—of polishing it until only the heroic parts remain. While it is convenient to remember war in simplistic terms of mateship and courage, history is rarely that simple. ANZAC Day should not be a moment for mythology. It should be an invitation to truth, and truth includes complexity. It includes the political failures that lead to war, the personal trauma experienced by those who return, and the difficult realities of colonialism, discrimination, and silence that shaped who we remember—and who we don’t.
If we’re not careful, Reynaud warns, we risk repeating a troubling pattern: avoiding the uncomfortable parts of our past while turning a blind eye to the injustices of our present.
This matters because how we remember shapes how we act. If we only ever frame our national identity through triumph and sacrifice, we may be ill-equipped to confront injustice, inequality, or conflict today. But if we lean into the full weight of our history—the pride and the pain—we are more likely to build a society that values justice, empathy, and peace.
Commemoration With Conscience
So, how should we mark ANZAC Day in 2025?
First, with humility. For many young Australians like Jack and Mattia, ANZAC Day is not about nationalistic pride. It’s about listening, learning, and standing in quiet solidarity with those who endured the unimaginable.
Second, with truth. This means creating space for voices that have often been left out of the ANZAC narrative: Indigenous servicemen and women, conscientious objectors, nurses, and civilians. It means recognising the trauma of war, not just the heroism. And it means understanding that remembrance is not static—each generation must decide how to honour the past in a way that speaks to the present.
Third, with action. If ANZAC Day is to remain relevant, it must inspire us to be better today. That might mean supporting veterans in practical ways, challenging injustice in our communities, or engaging thoughtfully with geopolitical affairs. We are currently witnessing a number of global conflicts. ANZAC day offers an opportunity to engage meaningfully with these issues and respond from an informed position with integrity.
For a new generation of students like Jack and Mattia, remembrance isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about responsibility. To look back with honesty. To look around with awareness. And to look forward with courage. In doing so, we honour not only the fallen, but also the living legacy of empathy, service, and hope.
Let’s commemorate ANZAC Day 2025 not just as an echo of the past, but as a call to integrity in how we live today.