The ANZAC Spirit - A message from the President

April 25, 108 years ago, marked the moment our Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, our ANZACs, faced their first major battle of World War I, the landing at Gallipoli. By the end of that first fateful day, the battle had claimed the lives of 754 Australians, 147 New Zealanders and wounded more than 2,000. 

One of the enduring gifts they, unknowingly, gifted us as a nation was a set of values that have come to be called the ANZAC spirit.  

Writing to you now, I want to reprise the reflections of Charles Bean, Australia's official war correspondent and historian for World War I, who said this about the ANZAC spirit: "ANZAC stood, and still stands, for reckless valour in a good cause, for enterprise, resourcefulness, fidelity, comradeship, and endurance that will never own defeat." 

This ANZAC spirit is not something that ceased to exist when the guns eventually fell silent. 

RSL Queensland President Major General Stephen Day DSC AM

More than a hundred years on, while there are no longer any living survivors of the Gallipoli campaign, our commemorations continue, eternal flames still burn as a symbol of our nation’s gratitude to those who gave their lives, and the ANZAC spirit they ignited burns brightly in the hearts, minds, and lives of all Australians. 

Over the course of my four decades in service I have seen several generations of servicemen and women embrace the same ANZAC spirit. And I have borne witness to the ways our veterans carry this spirit from their time in service to their civilian careers, volunteering opportunities and their social circles – where they ignite the same values of camaraderie, care and compassion in those around them. 

The presence and legacy of our veterans and current service personnel helps the ANZAC spirit spread throughout society and touch the lives of all Australians.  

Now, in 2023, we are encouraging Queenslanders to attend to their local commemorative services and to take the ANZAC spirit with them beyond the dawn and into the days, months and years ahead. 

This ANZAC Day, I invite you to join me in recognising the invaluable contribution of our ANZACs and all Australian Defence Force members who have served and continue to serve for our nation by attending your local service and paying your respects to those that have gone before us. 

Lest We Forget.

Major General Stephen Day DSC AM

RSL Queensland President.