Wreaths have been laid at the Anzac memorial in Sydney in a scaled-back ceremony without the usual crowds.
Mass public gatherings are banned in Australia, where people typically attend services or marches on April 25 to commemorate soldiers lost during wartime.
Laying a wreath Saturday, New South Wales state governor Margaret Beazley commemorated the World War I fallen.
“In the months after World War I, soldiers, sailors, and nurses were returning home, the world succumbed to another enemy, Spanish Flu, which wreaked its havoc on our already grieving community and constrained our first post-war Anzac commemorations,” Beazley said.
“Today’s Covid-19 pandemic has likewise imposed its constraints — and for good reasons. War or no war, a pandemic is an enemy, and just as in war, the physical and mental health of our people is at the forefront of our concern.”
What is Anzac Day?
Anzac Day is observed in Australia and New Zealand, with the name “Anzac” standing for “Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.” The date marks when Allied soldiers landed on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey during World War I.
The day is now used to remember all Australian and New Zealand soldiers lost at war, not just those who died during World War I.
Anzac biscuits — a cookie made with oats that wives often sent to soldiers during the war — are often eaten on Anzac Day.
