ANZAC Day was established to commemorate the first major military engagement involving Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. The name ANZAC was derived from the initials of the "Australian and New Zealand Army Corps". This day commemorates the landing of these forces in the Gallipoli area, in present-day Turkey, on 25 April 1915. When the United Kingdom declared war on Germany in 1914 due to the invasion of Belgium, Australia and New Zealand, as dominions of the British Empire, were automatically considered to be at war.

At dawn on 25 April 1915, the first of approximately 70,000 Allied troops landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula intending to break through to Istanbul, knocking Turkey out of the war, and supplying Russia in its fight against the Central Powers. More than 20,000 of these troops were Australians and New Zealanders. What was intended to be a bold strike ended in a stalemate when the invading forces failed to achieve their objective on the first day. After another eight months, they held on to a narrow strip of captured territory before being eventually evacuated at the end of 1915. A total of 8,700 Australians and 2,700 New Zealanders died.

On Thursday, 25 April, Ambassador Tyrer attended the Dawn Service and the Veterans' March at the National War Memorial in Canberra. This participation was important not only to honour the fallen but also as an expression of solidarity with Australia and New Zealand. The presence of the Czech ambassador at such a significant ceremony was also an opportunity to recall the role of the Czechoslovak Legions in the First World War.

Deputy Ambassador Ondřej Hovádek participated in a commemorative ceremony at the French Embassy memorial in Canberra, where he laid a wreath in the colours of the Czech tricolour. This act was an expression of recognition for the Australian and other soldiers who fought together in France during the First World War.

More photos are available on our Facebook profile: CZ Embassy Canberra