2026 Calendar of events
25 April Anzac Day
FFFAIF has traditionally supported AWWOD organising descendants’ participation in the Sydney Anzac Day March.ABC Radio coverage of the Canberra Dawn Service and National Ceremony will be heard on local ABC Radio, RN and on the ABC Listen app from 5.30am – 6.00am. This will incorporate a minute’s silence at approximately 5.50am to synchronise the dawn drive-way vigils.
TV broadcasts of Sydney Dawn Service, Canberra Dawn Service and National Ceremony and Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance Service will all be live from 4.30am AEST on ABC TV and ABC NEWS channels, on iview, and streamed live on ABC Australia Facebook and YouTube.
State TV broadcasts of capital city marches and dawn services will also be streamed live on ABC capital city Facebook accounts and on the ABC’s capital city local radio websites.
Every capital city will have live coverage of a local march, however coverage of capital city dawn services will vary in each state. Broadcasts times can be found on the ABC Anzac Day website.
Gallipoli Day /ANZAC Day services will be held in the UK, including:
a Dawn Service at Hyde Park Corner and later the annual Service of Commemoration with a wreath laying at the Cenotaph followed by a Service held at Westminster Abbey;
Baverstock, Codford, Fovant and Sutton Veny on the Salisbury Plain; and at about 15 other locations in England and Scotland;
Also at the Menin Gate, Ieper; and
Fromelles FranceSaturday 23 May Australian Western Front Association, Gallipoli Association, Fromelles Association, FFFAIF Lecture Day
Sunday 19 July Fromelles Day Commemoration in Sydney at the Anzac Memorial and
Melbourne Wreath-laying at the Shrine of Remembrance and Ipswich in QueenslandSunday 26 July Pozieres Service St Columba Woollahra TBC
Saturday 26 September Commemoration of the Battles of 3rd Ypres
Monday 19 October War Widows Day
Saturday 7th November FFFAIF AGM and John Laffin Memorial Lecture Day
Venue: Anzac Memorial, Hyde Park, Sydney and AGM On-line Zoom MeetingWednesday 11 November Remembrance Day
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Recent News
- Fromelles Day 2026 – Commemorating the 110th anniversary of the Battle of Fromelles 19 July 1916
- DIGGER 94
- VALE Dame Marie Bashir: Professor The Honourable Dame Marie Bashir, AD CVO
- Patron-in-Chief Her Excellency the Honourable Ms Sam Mostyn AC Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia
- DIGGER 93
- 2025 FFFAIF Annual General Meeting and John Laffin Memorial Lecture series
- DIGGER 92
- Fromelles Day 2025 – Commemorating the 109th anniversary in Sydney of the Battle of Fromelles 19 July 1916
Author Archives: FFFAIF
FLAG RETURNED
The appeal for the return of the Gallipoli flag stolen from ANAZC House in Sydney has been successful. The missing flag was returned anonymously on Friday 14 August. For more details read: ABC News: Stolen Gallipoli flag returned to RSL. Click … Continue reading
Book Auction 23 August
The John Laffin Memorial Fund (JLMF) is once again the beneficiary of the generosity of Craig Laffin and his family. Craig has donated a collection of books from the professional library of his father, the late John Laffin. These books include soldiers’ … Continue reading
*DNA & Identification
The joint announcement by the Australian and British governments that the remains of the soldiers buried at Pheasant Wood Fromelles by the German Army after the 19 July 1916 Battle of Fromelles will undergo DNA analysis, has increased the chances … Continue reading
*DNA Go Ahead
A joint statement was made today by the Australian and British governments that DNA testing will commence this week on the remains of World War 1 soldiers buried at Pheasant Wood. Scientists will undertake mass DNA-testing in the hope of … Continue reading
55,555 hits
55,555 hits The Families and Friends of the First AIF (FFFAIF) website reached a new milestone this week as it registered its 55,555th ‘hit’. The website was launched on the 26 January 2008 and is regularly updated. During this time … Continue reading
FLAG STOLEN
A significant piece of Australia’s heritage has been stolen from NSW RSL headquarters in Sydney. The first flag to be carried ashore to Gallipoli by Australian troops has been stolen from ANZAC House. The Sydney Morning Herald article on Thursday 6 August … Continue reading
War declared:shots fired
At 11pm Greenwich Mean Time (midnight in Berlin) on the 4 August 1914, the British ultimatum to the Germans to withdraw from Belgium expired and Britain declared war on Germany. Photo: SS Pflaz which was renamed HMAT Boorara (A42) [AWM] … Continue reading
Last WW1 soldier
Henry (Harry) John Patch the last British surviving veteran of the Great War died on 25 July 2009 aged 111. Photo: Harry Patch arriving at Langemark Cemetery, October 2008 [Mike Goodwin] Harry Patch has been described by the BBC as … Continue reading
The Shrine presents….
The following recordings from public programs held at the Shrine of Remembrance Melbourne are available for download. Photo: Lambis Englezos (left) and Tim Whitford [Tim Whitford] Don’t Forget Me Cobber: Discovering the Men of Fromelles presented by Mr. Lambis Englezos and … Continue reading
*Pics Pozieres Service
POZIERES COMMEMORATIVE SERVICE (Story and photos by FFFAIF Vice President Jim Munro) The annual Commemorative Service for the Battle of Pozieres was held at Saint Columba Church, Woollahra on Sunday 26 July 2009. The band of The Scots College Pipes and … Continue reading