Lest We Forget: Australia stops to commemorate Remembrance Day and our Diggers’ ultimate sacrifice

Australians will gather at commemoration services around the nation to honour the thousands who died in military conflicts over the past 106 years.

Remembrance Day commemorates the deaths of the millions of Allied service personnel killed in the Great War in Europe, where more than 60,000 Australians died.

Also known as Armistice Day, marking the signing of the peace agreement that ended World War I, Remembrance Day in Australia also honours those who lost their lives in later conflicts.

“On this day 106 years ago, the guns fell silent on the Western Front,” Defence Minister Richard Marles and Veteran’s Affairs Minister Matt Keogh said in a joint statement on Monday.

“In the years since, Remembrance Day has become a day where we turn our minds to all of those who have served our nation - in war, conflict and peacekeeping operations - and the 103,000 Australians who have fallen.”

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said Australia remembers the fallen “so we don’t forget who we are”.

Melbourne’s commemoration will take on extra significance, marking the 90th anniversary of the Shrine of Remembrance.

The Shrine was originally opened in 1934 and will be illuminated on Monday to read the word ‘love’ at 11am - the exact moment the Armistice was signed.

“As we mark the Shrine’s 90th anniversary, we are reminded the values of courage, sacrifice, and service are as relevant now as they were nearly a century ago,” Shrine CEO Dean Lee said.

“In a time when global events call for reflection on peace, security, and shared humanity, the Shrine’s role in fostering remembrance has never been more vital.”

A national service will take place at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, where Governor-General Sam Mostyn will deliver a commemorative address.

After the commemoration, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Ms Mostyn will make an announcement about a military honour.

A minute’s silence will be observed at 11am and Australians around the nation are being asked to pause for silent reflection.

In Sydney, a service at the Martin Place Cenotaph will begin at 10.30am, while the Opera House will be illuminated with images of poppies at dawn and dusk.

RSL Queensland said more than 140 events would take place at sub-branches state-wide, the largest number of services it has seen in three years.

The RSL’s official Queensland service will be at Brisbane’s ANZAC Square from 10.15am.

RSL WA will use the occasion to call for DNA donations to try and help identify unnamed fallen soldiers from a battalion that took part in one of World War I’s most devastating battles.

The 32nd Battalion fought in July 1916 and 718 soldiers were wounded or killed, but more than 70 bodies found in a mass grave in France in 2008 are yet to be identified.

RSL WA’s official service will be held at the State War Memorial in Kings Park.