Anzac Day /ˈænzæk/ is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders “who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations” and “the contribution and suffering of all those who have served.” Observed on April 25 each year, Anzac Day was originally to honor the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought at Gallipoli against the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Some Canadian soldiers, who had signed up for service with the United Kingdom, were among the British forces at Gallipoli. In addition, several Canadian military field hospitals supported the campaign. Anzac Day is also observed in the Cook Islands, Niue, Pitcairn Islands, and Tonga, and previously also as a national holiday in Papua New Guinea and Samoa. Although Anzac Day is not a holiday, it is observed in Canada; during World War I, Newfoundland was an independent dominion and the Royal Newfoundland Regiment was the only North American unit to fight at Gallipoli.

Anzac Day marks the anniversary of the first campaign that led to major casualties for Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. The acronym ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, whose soldiers were known as Anzacs. Anzac Day remains one of the most important national occasions of both Australia and New Zealand, a rare instance of two sovereign countries not only sharing the same remembrance day, but also making reference to both countries in its name. When war broke out in 1914, Australia and New Zealand had been dominions of the British Empire for thirteen and seven years respectively.
– Haoming Wang
Born in Wuxi, China in 1985, Haoming Wang moved with his family to Singapore where he lived for five years before emigrating to his present home in Sydney, Australia. He has been photographing since 2007.
To see more of Haoming’s work, visit Flickr.