Celebrate 2021 Anzac Day in Perth with a gunfire breakfast and special service
Celebrate 2021 Anzac Day in Perth with a gunfire breakfast and special service
Updated: 21 Apr 2021
Emma Forsyth
This year will see the first full traditional ANZAC Day celebration in two years, following cancellation last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. RSLWA’s full service will return to the streets of Perth with the Kings Park and Rottnest Dawn Services. To mark the occasion, there will also be a gunfire breakfast at Government House, an Anzac March through the Perth CBD and Commemorative Service at Perth Concert Hall. Here's what you need to know about the commemorative services happening in Perth on Sunday 25 April.
Kings Park Dawn Service
The first commemorative event of Anzac Day is the Annual Dawn Service in Kings Park at 6am. Hosted by the RSLWA, the service will be held at the State War Memorial in Kings Park. Perth’s Dawn Service 2021 has been restricted to 10,000 people and online registration will be required in advance of the event. Online registration is free and can be made through the RSLWA website before Anzac Day. City of Perth will be offering free parking at: Plain Street, Fire Station, Point Fraser and Terrace Road. However, travelling by public transport is recommended Register here.
Rottnest Island ANZAC Day Dawn Service
With its long history as a military base, ANZAC Day holds a special place on the Rottnest Island calendar and the island will again host its special dawn service at 6am this year. Commemorating all Australians who served and continue to serve Australia, join the RSLWA to reflect as the sun rises over the ocean on the foreshore of Thomson Bay. Everyone is welcome to attend, but you must book your ticket as capacity is strictly limited. A dusk service will also be held on Saturday 24 April at 5:45pm. Find out more here.
Light Up the Dawn Service
WA residents can also commemorate Anzac Day on their driveways, balconies or in living rooms with candles, flowers and light. Following the tremendous success of the driveway services last year, and due to the numbers cap on the Kings Park Dawn Service, the Light Up the Dawn service is another opportunity to let Australian veteran communities know that their service and sacrifices are not forgotten. RSLWA encourages residents to gather at 5.50am AWST and join the nation in the Light Up the Dawn services.
Gunfire Breakfast
For a gold coin donation, the WA community is invited to share the Spirit of Anzac Day with the Gunfire Breakfast organised by the Rotary Club of Perth. The Gunfire Breakfast will be held at Government House Gardens at 13 St Georges Terrace, Perth, between 7am to 9am on Sunday April 25.
Anzac Day March
At 9am, the Australian Defence Force will step off the corner of Barrack St and St Georges Tce, embarking on the traditional Anzac Day two-hour long parade and dispersing onto Langley Park. The procession will be followed by military jeeps and vehicles carrying veterans, the Ex-Services Unit, Corps and Regimental Associations, with members of the Military Motorcycle Clubs concluding the march. The RSLWA is encouraging friends and family of people marching to come to the city, and for others to watch the ABC live telecast from home.
Commemorative Service
Presented by the RSLWA, the third annual Anzac Day Commemorative Service will take place at Perth Concert Hall this year. From 11am, the Salvation Army Perth Fortress Band and the Anzac Day Choir, made up of the Perth Modern School Chamber Choirs and Perth Modern School Alumni Singers, will perform in remembrance and honour of the fallen soldiers. This is a free community event, but you'll need to reserve your spot here.
ANZAC Day at ANZAC Cottage 2021
Be part of the last Anzac Day Service on the Australian mainland, conducted at sunset on April 25. 2021 has been declared the International Year of Peace and Trust and accordingly, Friends of ANZAC Cottage has based their 2021 ANZAC Day commemorations around this theme. Beginning at 3pm on Sunday April 25, the Cottage will be open for visitors to view displays and hear the ANZAC Cottage story. The day will proceed with the Field of Remembrance, a free poppy making activity for children at 4:00pm to help build our “Tribute Trellis”, a performance at 4:45pm by the amazing Ngaru Pou Maori Cultural Group and the poignant Sunset Service which commences at 5:30pm. Entry is free, and all are welcome to join! Find further details here.
De Gaulle ANZAC Day Screenings at Luna
It is May 1940, where the war between Germany and its neighbours has intensified. Shockingly, the French army collapses, and Hitler seizes Paris. The government is in panic and considers accepting defeat, but recently promoted two-star General Charles de Gaulle, wants to change the course of history...
The biographical drama is one of French cinema’s most established and beloved genres, and Gabriel Le Bomin’s spectacularly mounted De Gaulle stirringly depicts a crucial period in the life of one of the most famous figures in the nation’s modern history, doing it enormous justice in the process. Matching the impact and scale of recent war dramas The Darkest Hour and The King’s Choice as it depicts crucial incidents in gripping tick-tock fashion, Le Bomin mixes the historic and the Romanesque, charting both a military debacle and the eventual revelation of a destiny. To mark the day, there will be a special screening of the film at Luna Cinema in Leederville on April 25 at 6.30pm. You can book tickets here.
