Commemorations
ANZAC Day
Australian commemorate Anzac Day on 25 April every year. This is the anniversary of the day when Australian and New Zealand soldiers landed on Gallipoli in 1915 as part of the Allies’ invasion. Anzac Day draws large crowds of people to the dawn services, and marches are held around the country.
2024 Schedule of Services
Dawn Service:
5:00am - Kings Beach Amphitheatre
Gunfire Breakfast:
6:30am - Caloundra RSL Services Club. Tickets to be pre-purchased from the Club Reception or online.
Veterans and Community Parade:
8:30am - Form up Caloundra Shopping Centre.
9:00am - Step off, along Lewis and Arthur Streets to Third Avenue and into the Services Club Carpark.
Wreath Laying Service:
10:00am - Sub Branch Memorial Gardens.
Entertainment:
11:00am - Caloundra RSL Services Club.
Two Up:
1:00pm - Caloundra RSL Services Club Function Centre.
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day is the anniversary of the Armistice that ended fighting with Germany in World War I. People in Australia, and many other countries, observe 1 minute’s silence at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month because that’s when the Armistice came into effect.
Bombing of Darwin Day
We observe Bombing of Darwin Day on the anniversary of the day in 1942 when Darwin was first bombed by Japanese warplanes. The people of Darwin suffered terribly during this time and many civilians were evacuated. To this day, this action remains the largest and most devastating modern attack by a foreign power on mainland Australia.
Victory in Europe
Victory in Europe Day – or ‘VE Day’ – signalled the end of almost 6 years of terrible fighting between the Allies and Nazi Germany on 8 May 1945.
Korean Veterans Day
On 27 July each year, we commemorate Korean Veterans’ Day. This is the anniversary of the day in 1953 when an armistice was signed to end the fighting in Korea. This day is a time for us to remember the almost 18,000 Australians who served in the war, including some 340 who lost their lives.
Victory in the Pacific Day
Victory in the Pacific Day is commemorated on 15 August each year. It marks Japan’s unconditional surrender to the Allies after more than 3 years of war. It’s a special time for us to reflect on the important role that Australians played to end the war in the Pacific region.
Vietnam Veteran’s Day
On 18 August, we commemorate Vietnam Veterans’ Day on the anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan in 1966. We remember the sacrifices of those who died and say thank you to almost 60,000 Australians who served during the 10 years of our involvement in the Vietnam War.
Modern Era Operations
On the third Sunday of September we commemorate the services of modern era veterans with a service to commemorate deployments to East Timor, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Solomon Islands along with other United Nation Deployments.