ANZAC DAY – Governor-General’s Anzac Day Dawn Service Address

Rere ana nga roimata o Hine tērā te pae o Te Riri. Huihuia mai tātau katoa tēnei te pae o Maumahara. E nga iwi, kei aku rangatira wāhine ma, tāne mā tēnā tātau katoa.

I specifically acknowledge:

– Taranaki Whānui

– The Honourable Nicola Willis, Minister of the Crown

– Their Excellencies, the Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye and High Commissioner of Australia

– The Honourable Peeni Henare, MP

– Her Worship Tory Whanau, Mayor of Wellington

– Air Marshal Kevin Short, Chief of the New Zealand Defence Force

– General Angus Campbell, Chief of the Australian Defence Force

– Kevin Arlidge, President of the Wellington Returned and Services’ Association

And as always, a most special welcome to our veterans and to their whānau – both those who are present and those watching from home.

109 years after the landing of the ANZACs at Gallipoli, Anzac Day still holds deep significance for New Zealanders, as we see from the many thousands gathered here to greet the dawn, in honour of the sacrifice of our forebears.

Though we no longer have direct links to those who witnessed the First World War, such was its impact that it will always remain part of our family histories and our collective memory.

Since our first Anzac Day on the 25th of April 1916, the scope of our remembrance has expanded to include all other wars and armed conflicts in which New Zealand has been involved, as well as our ongoing efforts in peacekeeping.

I would like to give a special greeting here to the New Zealand and Australian Somalia veterans who have gathered to mark the 30th anniversary of the completion of New Zealand Defence Force operations in Somalia. Around 250 New Zealand Defence Force personnel played a vital role in the UN mission to protect humanitarian aid and restore peace.

This morning I also wish to honour veterans of the Second World War, whose numbers are sadly fewer with the passing of the years.

There will still be people in our communities who remember the war effort at home, what it was like to be left behind by family members and fri