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
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- 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
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- 2025 FFFAIF Annual General Meeting and John Laffin Memorial Lecture series
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- Fromelles Day 2025 – Commemorating the 109th anniversary in Sydney of the Battle of Fromelles 19 July 1916
Author Archives: FFFAIF
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CONTENTS Articles The 20th Battalion and the Evacuation from Gallipoli, Neville Browning 3-7 Pte Frederic John Baird, 17th Bn, Maurice Campbell 8-10 L/Cpl Noho Toki, 1st Maori Contingent, Judith Green 11-12 Lieut Thomas Acherson Armstrong, 33rd Bn, Stephen Brooks 12 … Continue reading
1918 Christmas and New Year Greetings
Major milestone for The Headstone Project
The last of the 316 previously unmarked graves of returned Diggers buried in the Cornelian Bay Cemetery in Hobart will have their headstones dedicated in a graveside service on Saturday 15 December. After 6 years of researching, finding families, planning, … Continue reading
Seeking Fromelles DNA matches
19 July 2018 The Catafalque Party enters the Cemetery passing covered Headstones to be rededicated. All photographs by Carole Laignel, unless otherwise acknowledged [Click on images to enlarge] The names of 231 of the 250 soldiers buried by the German … Continue reading
Vale – Major General Gordon Lindsay Maitland AO, OBE, RFD, ED
On behalf of the Committee and Members of Families and Friends of the First AIF, I extend condolences to the family and friends of FFFAIF Foundation Member Gordon Maitland on his passing on 17 October 2018, aged 92 years. Major … Continue reading
The Story of Rembrella Poppy Umbrellas in Australia
The images of poppies on the old Flanders battlefields and umbrellas lining the route of The Armistice Day Poppy Parade to the Menin Gate Memorial in Ieper (Ypres) inspired Lt. Colonel (Rtd) Graham Parker OBE, instigator of the Parade and … Continue reading
2018 John Laffin Memorial Lecture
Report by Paul Simadas, FFFAIF Vice President The 2018 John Laffin Memorial Lecture Day, held at 99 York St in Sydney’s CBD on 15 September was a rewarding day for those who attended. In a full day of talks … Continue reading
Commemoration of the Battles of Third Ypres, Sydney
The Families and Friends of the First AIF invite you to attend or view the Commemoration of the Battles of Third Ypres Wednesday 26 September 2018, 10.45 am for 11:00 am to 12.00 noon at the Anzac Memorial, Hyde Park, Sydney. … Continue reading
2018 John Laffin Memorial Lecture
Members and their guests are invited to attend The John Laffin Memorial Lecture Saturday 15th September 2018 10:00 am to 3:30 pm Level 2, 99 York Street, Sydney CBD – One block from Town Hall Station Several nearby … Continue reading
Fromelles Day Sydney 2018: Commemorative Procession from the Archibald Fountain to the Anzac Memorial and Commemorative Service
The Families and Friends of the First AIF in conjunction with the Trustees of the Anzac Memorial, hosted the Commemoration of the 102nd anniversary of the Battle of Fromelles at The Anzac Memorial Hyde Park, Sydney on Thursday 19 July … Continue reading