Prime Minister Anthony Albanese marks diggers’ sacrifice at Canberra dawn service

The trill of kookaburras mixed with the haunting strains of the Last Post as the first fingers of dawn crept over the mountain behind the Australian War Memorial where thousands marked the sacrifices of those who have served the nation.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was solemn as he gazed over the 25,000 people gathered for the national Anzac Day service.

They spilled off the new parade ground in front of the War Memorial and down Anzac Parade towards the shores of the lake and Parliament House.

“We who are gathered here think of those who went out to the battlefields of all wars, but did not return,” Mr Albanese said, giving the Anzac dedication.

“We feel them still near us in spirit. We wish to be worthy of their great sacrifice.”

It was another pause in the election campaign that has been marked by many of them.

Australia’s domestic politics are playing out against a backdrop of global turbulence, with conflict continuing in Ukraine and the Middle East, China growing more belligerent in our region, and the United States sparking trade tensions.

Defence and strategic experts have warned that Australia needs to be preparing itself with urgency for conflict close to home. Many are frustrated that politicians don’t seem to be heeding the call.

These overseas conflicts pierced the solemnity of the dawn service when a lone protester shouted “Free Palestine” in the hush after the Last Post, minute silence and Reveille.

The swift reply from another in the crowd: “Kick a landmine.”

Deputy Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Matt Buckley used his dawn service address to recall the generations of service many had given their country.

Australia’s history illustrated a culture of service that was “the beating heart of our national identity”, he said.

He recounted the story of Sergeant William Kennedy Buck, who was among those who landed in Gallipoli in 1915, and whose sons and grandsons also served.

“As I look at my own sons, young men of 15, 17, and 19, I think about all of the families who sent their young sons and daughters off to war,” Rear Admiral Buckley said.

“If dark days should come again, I am confident that their generation and those who follow will do what is required.”

Navy principal chaplain Jason Wright urged that the memories of those who had sacrificed for their nation inspire Australians “to strive for a world defined by love for others, and a world where we walk together with compassion and understanding”.